


Reflections of You

by OpalSpirit



Category: Only Lovers Left Alive (2013), Only Lovers Left Alive (2013) RPF, Tom Hiddleston - Fandom
Genre: Abandoned Churches, Angst, Atticus - Freeform, Blood Magic, Blood and Injury, Character Turned Into Vampire, Curse Breaking, Curses, Dark Fairy Tale Elements, Dark Magic, F/M, Fairy Tale Elements, Flashbacks, Folklore, Grief, Historical References, Inspired by Music, Jealousy, Kisses, Lang Leav, Loneliness, Longing, Memory Loss, Mentions of Myth & Folklore, Michael Faudet, Music, Nikita Gill, Photographs, Poetry, Recovered Memories, Reincarnation, Stardust - Freeform, Tragic Romance, Vampires, beau taplin, black magic, historic events, reclusive
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-14
Updated: 2020-08-07
Packaged: 2020-12-16 04:54:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 26,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21030569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OpalSpirit/pseuds/OpalSpirit
Summary: Their story became one of myth and folklore. The story of a love cursed out of jealousy by the Devil himself. Cursed to remain forever separated.Through every age, through every period of history, Adam found her. Always wearing the face of a stranger, her soul remained familiar to him while her mind had forgotten him. Countless times they fell in love and countless times the curse would take her. Take her to be reborn again.Now, in the 21st century, in the darkness of Detroit, Adam once again searches for her. Creating music to draw her out. His cursed, undead soul yearns for hers. But should he see her again, will he run to her or from her? For the curse always finds a way. It cannot be outrun or evaded.Unless, of course, it can be broken. After so long, does he dare to hope for such a thing?(Inspired by the piece "When She Will Recognize Him" by Koan)





	1. The Song of Her Soul

**Author's Note:**

> y/e/c = your eye colour.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I have walked through the ruins of an empire as it fell through the passageway of time. I have witnessed star after star exploding like fireworks, as I fixed my gaze light years into the sky. And I was only a pinprick of dust on the day they split the atom. I had yet to learn the most destructive thing in the world is the quiet yearning between two people who long to find their way back to each other. 
> 
> ~ Lang Leav (The Chaos of Love)

_"I could never forget you..."_

The words hung in the air long after Adam woke, pulled roughly from the realm of sleep by the ringing of his doorbell. Reintroduced to reality, Adam groaned, the sun had long since set. Sitting up, he came to realise that it was not his bed that he had fallen asleep on. Massaging the sore point in his neck, he looked around and sighed. The sofa was never the ideal place to sleep, for human or vampire.

Shrugging on a shirt, he went to the window. From down below, illuminated by a lone street lamp, Ian waved up at him.

Adam watched silently as Ian retrieved a series of unique instruments from the trunk of his car. Sighing, he left the window and made to go to the front door.

_"I could never forget you..."_

Her voice followed him down the stairs, filling the air with its haunting tones and sweet timber. It was the beginning of a new year after all.

Ian's smiling face greeted him as he opened the door. Ushering him inside, Adam took hold of one of the more uniquely shaped cases that Ian was carrying. Neither said a word as Adam led the way back up the stairs to his main living area.

Adam's collection of instruments never failed to amaze Ian. For as long as the two had known each other, Adam had been in search of the most rare and unique pieces. Ian had heard only snippets of the music his friend created with these various instruments, and not once had they failed to send shivers through him. Adam created beautiful pieces of music, pieces that could often be described as haunting, containing elements of indescribable longing and very faint traces of hope. Adam never specified from where he managed to get his inspiration.

"Check these out man, I really hope you're gonna like 'em."

Humming in approval, Adam knelt by the first case and opened it to reveal a Russian balalaika. A guitar-like instrument with a wide triangular base. Lifting it out of its case, Adam held it in an almost reverant manner. A flood of images flashed before his eyes, the distant melody of her laughter echoed in his ears.

_Sparkling crystal chandeliers. _

_Flowing gowns in a rainbow of colours. _

_A pair of eyes. A stunning shade of y/e/c. _

_A couple dancing while a crowd watched spellbound. _

Snapping back to the present, Adam gave the strings a few experimental plucks and smiled softly. It had been a favourite of hers, although she could not play. He could still hear her, imploring him to play her the tune he wrote for her. Laying the instrument carefully back into its case, he moved to the next one.

Much smaller than its predecessor, the case was a rectangle. Lifting the latches, it was opened to reveal an instrument in two parts. The silver glinted softly in the lamp light as Adam lifted the two parts and fitted them together. A flute, one instrument that Adam had not played in quite some time. It was the one instrument that she could play. If he closed his eyes, he could see her standing before him, the flute held delicately and lips hovering above the mouthpiece. Her eyes were closed as her body gently swayed to the tune she played.

Blinking, he heard Ian say his name.

"Adam?"

"Yeah?"

"Nothing man, you just went a little distant is all," Ian explained.

Setting the flute down gently, Adam turned his attention to the third and final instrument. The very shape of the case piqued his interest. It was round and almost bulbous. Curious, he knelt beside it and carefully unfastened the latches. The instrument that lay inside resembled a drum of sorts, but not of any kind that Adam was familiar with.

Sensing his friend's confusion, Ian moved to kneel beside him and proceeded to explain. "This is called a handpan. It is quite a recent addition to the drum family."

"It's so unusual," Adam murmured, eyes and hands wandering over the strange instrument. Lifting it out of its case, he found that it weighed next to nothing. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ian move the case away. Setting it on the floor, he examined it further.

"What'd you think?" Ian asked, sounding hopeful as he watched his friend experiment with the new drum. He watched in quiet fascination as Adam began to play, his hands dancing over the metal surface. He had never seen Adam at work, always coming once the pieces were done and fully recorded.

Only once the music faded, did Adam look up. "They are quite wonderful, Ian," he said, the words sincere. "Thank you."

Ian smiled and nodded, satisfied. "That's great, man. I'm so glad you like them."

Settling the drum on the sofa, Adam wordlessly passed over a thick roll of bank notes to Ian. "I really appreciate this, Ian. Thank you."

The younger man nodded and accepted the money, pocketing it. "No problem, man. Glad I'm able to help."

From his perch by the window, Adam watched as Ian drove away, back into the night and towards the more populated areas of Detroit. Letting the curtain fall back into place, Adam wandered back to the sofa and sat down, picking up the flute that lay beside him. Absently, he let his hands wander, exploring the tiny grooves and holes of the silvery instrument.

Leaning his head back, he closed his eyes. It was still much too early for him to feel tired, and yet he felt exhaustion begin to creep up on him. He had the whole night ahead of him, yet he felt as though he had been up all day. His eyes started to drift closed when the shrill sound of his phone sounded. Sighing in frustration, he bent and retrieved the phone from beneath the coffee table.

"Yeah?" He spoke into the receiver and waited for the person on the other end to say something.

"Adam."

There was a voice he had not heard in quite some time. He allowed himself a small smile. "Eve."

"Hello, old friend." There was a smile in her voice, her tone fond.

"Hang on a second," Adam muttered, shifting his hold on the phone. "I wanna see you."

Eve chuckled. "Well, it has been a while."

Soon her voice filtered in through the speakers that hung from the ceiling and a few moments later, her smiling face became visible on the small TV screen in front of Adam.

"There you are," she greeted him, grinning.

"Hello," he replied, returning the smile.

"Are you alright? You look a little tired."

"Do I?" Adam muttered, combing a hand through his dark hair. A long, heavy breath passed his lips as he lifted his gaze to meet her blue one. "I suppose its only natural," he continued. "It _is _the beginning of a new year after all."

Eve sighed and her smile disappeared. "Yes," she whispered, "it is, isn't it?"

Adam simply nodded.

"Allow me to hazard a guess, you had the dream again?" Eve asked, sitting up on her bed.

"Like clockwork," he said, nodding stiffly.

For a brief moment, Eve closed her eyes and took a deep breath before returning her attention to him. "You never did tell me why."

"Because that was the night when _it _happened," Adam explained, his voice soft and wrought with emotion.

"Oh."

"The night he took her from me and cursed me to this monstrous form."

Eve felt rare tears form at her friend's words. She knew of whom and what Adam spoke. That fateful night five centuries ago.

"When did you see her last?"

Adam did not answer right away. His eyes narrowed as he thought back. His heart sank with realisation at just how long it had been. It had been longer than usual, much longer. "Two centuries, I think," he replied, sounding horrified.

Eve took in his appearance and his wide eyes. Her still heart went out to him, just as it did every time she remembered. He looked so scared all of a sudden. "Adam?" She asked softly. "What is it?"

His mouth moved to form words yet no sounds came out. When at last he found his voice, it trembled, something it rarely did. "I have not seen her. Nor heard her or sensed her presence for two hundred years."

"I am sure she is out there somewhere," she replied, keeping her voice low and even.

"That's just it, I don't think she is," Adam said, folding his arms and biting his lip.

"And what makes you think that?" Eve asked, "how long is it that you usually wait for her?" This was a painful subject, she knew that, but she had know in order to help.

"Twenty-four years," he whispered, looking down at the cluttered coffee table.

"That is a very precise number, Adam," she commented, smiling wryly.

"It is her age," he explained softly, unfolding his arms and leaning forward with his forearms resting on his thighs. "The age she was when the curse was cast."

Eve closed her eyes and bowed her head. Y/N. The young woman who had captured Adam's heart and held it firmly in her possession. A young woman, while still human, was as cursed as Adam was. Eve had been horrified when Adam had first told her of the curse and what it entailed. She had never met Y/N, only seen the portraits and photographs that Adam had collected over the years.

"I am positive you will see her again," she murmured softly, eyes opening and focusing on her friend.

"Will I? It has been a whole two centuries, Eve." He shook his head, letting it drop forward to hang limply between his shoulders.

Eve was certain she had never seen him like this. So very despondent and afraid. She longed to reach out and take him in her arms and comfort him.

"How am I to know that last time, was not _the _last time?" He demanded, looking up, his blue eyes meeting hers. "What if the curse has run its course?"

Eve shook her head resolutely. "No."

"What do you mean _no?" _

Sighing, she continued. "I mean, that curses such as this one, _especially _those cast by the Devil himself, do not have an expiration date. I do not believe he simply gave up after three-hundred years."

"Then where is she?"

"How am I to know? I know not what she looks like, yet you always seem to recognise her."

Defeated, Adam leaned back against the sofa. It was true, every incarnation of her, every version, he always seemed to recognise the woman he loved. It was the eyes, he thought to himself, it was always the eyes. Every one of her many selves bore the eyes of the original. And through those eyes, he saw her soul. Her soul that always seemed to remember him before her mind did.

"You will find her, Adam, I know you will."

"And if I do not wish too?"

Eve leveled a look at him. "You've tried running from her before, remember how that went? Not so well, as I recall."

It never went well. Adam knew that. It was the unfortunate and tragic truth of it all. The Devil's curse followed them everywhere and would not be outsmarted.

"Then I shan't let her see me," he replied, tone strong and resolute in his decision.

Eve raised a brow, "as I recall, you've already tried that."

"Then what else am I to do?' He whispered harshly, nostrils flaring. "I have exhausted all my options."

"You know what? I'll come and together we'll find a way."

"I'm sorry?"

"You heard me," Eve replied, smiling. "If there is a way, then it must be one of the ones I have missed. I am certain of that."

Adam sighed and shook his head in resignation. Eve had always been the more optimistic of the two. Always seeing a way where Adam saw a dead end. Ever since he had told her of the curse, she had taken it upon herself to find a way to break it.

"Very well," he said, lifting his head to smile at his friend. "I suppose I'll be seeing you soon then?"

Eve nodded. "That you will. Goodnight, Adam."

"Goodnight, Eve."

Even long after the line went dead and both parties had hung up, Adam lay there, simply staring up at the ceiling. He could not bring himself to leave the house that night.


	2. A Memory of Heaven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crashing waves on an empty beach, the rhythm of our hearts, two drowning lovers lost at sea, my lips adrift in yours. 
> 
> ~ Michael Faudet (The Kiss)

_ \- Christmas Eve, St. Petersburg, Russia 1845 -_

_The fire crackled in the fireplace. The whole room glowed with a dancing orange light. Outside, the snow fell soft and silent. Sighing, she leaned her head on his shoulder. "I never want to leave this room." She sounded wistful as her eyes followed the dancing flames, the light catching on the flowing gown she wore. _

_"Neither do I, my darling," Adam murmured, resting his chin atop her head. His arm came and curled around her. "But I am certain our absence will be noted sooner or later."_

_Y/N huffed and snuggled in deeper. "I know," she said softly. "I know."_

_Neither one moved, not willing to return to the ball currently taking place. _

_"What if we ran?" She turned her head and looked up at him. "Just you and I. We tell no one."_

_Adam smiled down at her. "And where would we go, my love?"_

_"Anywhere," came her reply, her gaze turning back to the fire. Standing up, she moved to stand by the marble fireplace, the fabric of her gown swishing around her legs and rustling against the carpet. "Faraway."_

_A melancholy shadow passed over Adam as he watched her. She looked so beautiful in the firelight, so beautiful and sad. Saying nothing, he rose and walked to stand behind her, embracing her and holding her close. "If only we could," he whispered, resting his chin on her shoulder and softly kissing the soft skin below her ear. He dared not kiss her lips. _

_Y/N sighed and leaned into him, bringing up her hands to cradle his own as they rested above her stomach. A soft smile graced her lips. _

_"Come, my angel," stepping back only to reappear before her, Adam offered her his arm. _

_"Must we?" Even as she spoke, she took his offered arm, blushing delicately as he pressed a soft kiss to her knuckles before tucking her arm through his own. _

_Together they swept through the winding halls of the Imperial Winter Palace. The whole palace was alight with excitement, the soft chatter of a gathered crowd only growing the closer they moved to the main ballroom. _

_Seeing the approaching couple, the footmen opened the large double doors, allowing them entrance. _

_Music filled the air and guided countless couples over the polished dance floor. Y/N watched them as though in a trance. Despite her attendance at numerous balls, she never failed to become enchanted by it all. Especially now that he had found her and they were together once more. _

_"Would her Highness do me the honor of having this next dance?"_

_Y/N blushed at the mention of her title; her family being one of the minor royals. Nodding, she smiled at him. "Of course you may, good sir."_

_Taking her hand in his, Adam lead them through the milling throngs. Seamlessly, he wove through the dancing couples, only pulling her close the moment they stood in the centre of it all. _

_Y/N had no time to voice her protest before they joined in the dance. Her world shrunk, the ballroom and crowd disappearing. All that mattered was Adam as he guided her across the smooth surface, his arms strong and sure around her. Her gown billowed out as he twirled her. Never had she felt safer than in his arms. All thoughts of the curse dissipated, leaving in their place only bliss. _

_As the music drew to a close and the gathered crowd gave applause, Adam leaned in. His lips brushed the shell of her ear as he whispered, "Merry Christmas, my love." The look in his eyes when he drew back had Y/N blink away tears. Never would a man look at her the way he did, with a mere glance filled to the brim with tenderness and the purest love. _

_"Merry Christmas," she replied, her voice a breathy whisper. _

_With a gentle tug on the hand he held, Adam led her from the dance floor where couples were returning. He lead her through the crowd until at last they came to one of the ballroom's many entrances. _

_"Where are we going?" Y/N asked, all confusion. _

_With a sly grin, Adam winked but said nothing, merely leading her further away from the festivities. _

_When at last they came to a halt, Y/N gasped softly. She knew these doors, they lead to the palace's winter garden. Not once had she set foot over the threshold, never quite daring too, despite her growing curiosity. _

_The doors swung open soundlessly. Opening her mouth in protest, Y/N felt her words be silenced the moment Adam pressed a gentle finger to her lips and motioned for her to step through. _

_The garden was even more beautiful than she had been lead to believe. Looking up, she grinned upon seeing that the roof was in fact made of glass. "It's so beautiful," she said, voice soft with awe. "Thank you, my darling," she looked to Adam who was watching her with a fond smile. _

_"You are most welcome." _

_The garden was larger than Y/N initially believed. With every nook or grotto she discovered, her wonder would only grow. _

_"I wonder who I will be the next time," she whispered, more to herself than to Adam. Her fingers lightly brushed a lily that stood tall and proud. _

_When only silence came, she continued, her eyes fixed to the flowers as though speaking with them. "He always puts me in the extremes."_

_Behind her, Adam hissed, his hands curling into fists. _

_Y/N spun around and sighed. "I know," she said in a trembling voice, beginning to twist her hands. "I should not be thinking such things on a night such this. Forgive me."_

_"Forgive you?" Adam asked, shocked. Approaching her, he took hold of her hands and intertwined their fingers, lacing them firmly together. "There is nothing to be forgiven. It is only natural that you would think such a thing." Upon seeing her quivering lower lip, he pulled her close, her head resting above where his heart had once beat. "It is not your doing."_

_"I know," she replied, voice slightly muffled. "But I'm scared, Adam," she tilted her head back, meeting his eyes. _

_He hated this. The fear she felt upon wondering who she would be should be next. Rich or poor, it always changed. Her soul had endured unimaginable torment, what with it being practically shoved into new bodies on a regular basis. With his free hand, he traced soothing circles on her back through the fabric of her gown. "I know, my love," he soothed. "I am too." _

_"Really?" She asked, looking up at him. _

_Adam nodded and nuzzled her hair. "Terrified. Terrified that each time might be the last and I will never see you again."_

_"It would take more than a Devil's curse to keep me from you," Y/N vowed, her tone solemn and firm. _

_"Oh how I wish I could kiss you," he whispered desperately, eyes briefly glancing at her lips. _

_Y/N sighed. "Me too," she murmured in reply. "But we can't."_

_Silently they explored the rest of the garden, their hands entwined. Neither wanted to go back, much preferring the tranquil quiet of the garden. _

_"Oh look," she exclaimed, taking Adam by surprise. "Night-flowers." Entranced, she led him to a small patch of white flowers, their centers a soft purple. "They open once the sun sets and close when it rises," she proceeded to explain, a shine to her eyes. _

_"Fascinating," Adam murmured, looking from her to the flowers and back again. _

_"Aren't they just," she said, sighing happily. Turning her gaze up, she gasped softly. There above them, above the snow, ribbons of light danced through the starless night. "Adam, look."_

_For a moment, both simply stood there, their eyes fixed to the shimmering lights above them. Something neither had seen for quite some time. _

_"I did not think we could see them here," Y/N said thoughtfully. _

_"Neither did I," Adam replied, his mind racing. _

_"They are still just as beautiful as I remember," she said in a wistful tone, her eyes distant as she regarded the lights. A single tear traced a shining path down her cheek, she did not want to go, not when she had so recently found him, remembered him and their life together. She detested the sensation of fading. _

_A gentle tug on her hand pulls her thoughts back to the present. Looking to Adam, she sees him motion towards center of the garden where a tall marble fountain bubbles away. _

_Delighted, she followed him. Always having had a fondness for water features, she couldn't stop the small giggle that came out. "How did we miss this?" She asked, "it is so big and right in the middle."_

_Adam made to reply when the toe of his boot caught on an uneven tile in the walkway. Pitching forward, he stumbled, their joined hands causing Y/N to all but crash into him. "My apologies," he breathed, his words whispering over her lips as his arms steadied her against him. _

_"It is no matter," she replied, swallowing hard. The danger of the situation was palpable. She could practically taste those beautiful lips, those beautiful thin lips of his that were within kissing distance. Her breathing became stuttered as her heart fought with her head. "I should be the one apologising," that was all the warning he received before she crashed her lips to his. _

_Adam tensed beneath her. Horror flooded through him. No, this couldn't be happening. Yet, it was those insistent lips of hers that crumbled his defences and let her in. _

_She drank him in. Desperately needing everything he had to offer. Her head cursed her for her stupidity while her heart rejoiced at the all-too brief chance. _

_He was the first one to pull back. "Y/N-" he whispered her name, eyes wide. _

_"I'm so sorry," she whimpered, pressing her hand to her lips. _

_They both knew, and dreaded, what was about to happen. Then Adam did something that surprised them both. Reaching for her, he kissed her again, and again. The kisses became desperate, hungry, needy. And Y/N readily reciprocated. Her tears mixed in with the kisses. They clung to each other as though the world was shattering around them. Perhaps it was. Soon, she would disintegrate, becoming nothing more than an elusive cloud of stardust. _

_"Promise me, you'll find me," she whimpered against him, her face buried in his chest. _

_"Of course I will," he replied, his voice cracking as his arms tightened around her. _

_"I don't want to forget you again."_

_His dead heart shattered at her words. "Your soul will remember me," he murmured, burying his face in her hair. "Like it always does."_

_A stuttered gasp left her. She felt it. It was happening. "Don't let me go," she begged, arms tight around his waist. "Please."_

_"You are mine. I will never let you go," Adam vowed, for he felt it too. She was growing less substantial as the time slowly ticked by. "Ever."_

_"I love you," Y/N whispered, her breath catching in her throat. "I love you so much."_

_It was not often that Adam wept. But each time he lost her, each time she spoke like that, his stoicism crumbled into dust. "I love you too," he said brokenly. Soon, the feeling of her arms around his waist faded. Looking down, he minutely shook his head as the rest of her was gradually consumed. _

_No trace was left, not even a shimmering trail on his hands or arms where he had held her. The pain, he swore, became worse every time. _

_"You never learn do you?" _

_A cold shudder ran through Adam at the sound of that particular voice. _

_"Or is that you do not wish too?" The speaker revealed himself. A middle-aged man in a crimson suit of the times. His hair was black, like Adam's. Yet it was his eyes that gave him away. They glowed like the embers of the fires of his domain. _

_"What do you want?" Adam demanded, having no patience for his hellish visitor. _

_"Tsk, tsk, manners Adam," the man admonished him as a parent would a child. _

_Hissing, Adam turned away, intent on putting as much distance between them as possible. _

_"It may be some time before you see her again."_

_His words froze Adam in his tracks. "Why?" He ground out from behind clenched teeth. _

_"Need I give a reason? Because I say so," the man replied, sounding smug. _

_Without even a glance back, Adam stalked from the garden, the chilling sound of the Devil's laughter following close behind. _


	3. Melodies of the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Always fight for love - walk barefoot across the jagged shards of a broken heart but never become its victim.
> 
> ~ Michael Faudet

Portraits. Photographs. Letters. A plethora of memories lay spread out on the bed before him. Usually neatly organised in a specific album, Adam had felt the need to see them all at once. Eve was due to arrive that night, a week after they had spoken on the phone.

One letter caught his eye. Gently lifting it from the spread, he lightly traced the words. It was dated to be the 4th of March 1785. Adam smiled faintly at the memory, she had been the daughter of a diplomat. They had met in Austria, Vienna to be precise. She had quickly become enamoured by Mozart and together they had attended many of his operas and concerts.

The letter described her excitement at the prospect of going to see one of Mozart's latest pieces. In a way that only she could, she invited him to go along with her, quickly assuring him that she had spoken with her parents and that they had given their consent.

_"...Yours forever,_

_Y/N.."_

"Forever," Adam repeated softly as his hands traced a trembling pattern over her name. Taking the letter with him, he left his bedroom and headed to the living area. He was certain that he had some records of Mozart's more famous pieces.

Soon the ethereal sounds of violin and soaring soprano filled the room. So much so, that the sound of the ringing doorbell almost went unheard. Groaning, Adam cast a glance at the monitor that allowed him a generous view of the street beyond his front door. The figure that stood there was one he recognised. The hair was much too pale to be Ian's and she was female. _Eve. _

Leaving the music playing, he left her letter on the sofa before padding down the stairs to welcome his friend.

"Ahh," Eve murmured, the moment she set foot over the threshold, the music drifting down from upstairs. "Figaro?"

Adam nodded. "Indeed. One of his more bearable works."

Eve chuckled at his tone. "He produced many fine pieces, it is not his fault that you saw him as a rival."

"Even so, I still think he should have taken me up on that offer."

Eve raised an eyebrow as she followed him up the stairs, "you can't fault him for wanting to write his own pieces, Adam."

Any response Adam might have come up with, faded as a particular strain in the music came up, the voices of the singers and violin sending them both back three centuries. To an opera house in Vienna.

"It was one her favourite pieces," Adam explained, bringing them both back to the present. "She rather admired his work."

"And let me guess," Eve surmised, smirking. "This made you want to compete with him? To offer him your work to publish as his own?"

Sighing, Adam sat down, carefully laying her letter on the coffee table. "For a time, I believed, foolishly so, that she would have come to prefer his company over mine."

"Why on earth would you think that?" Eve asked, sitting down beside him. "Did she do or say something?"

"She would be absent for days on end," Adam explained, eyes going distant with memory. "I began to get suspicious, for every time I would ask her, she would evade the question and smoothly change the topic of conversation."  
  
"How long did this go on for?" Eve asked, worry creeping into her words.

"About a month," Adam replied. "It was then that I began to follow her, discreetly and at a distance. Sure enough, it was his apartments that she would go too."

Eve knew not what to say. Words were beyond her.

Seemingly unfazed by his friend's silence, Adam continued. "I confronted her one evening when she returned."

"And?" Eve was relieved to have found her voice again, her voice though, was faint.

"It turned out that she had requested lessons to play the flute."

"The flute?" Eve repeated, confused. "Why did she not just ask you? You know the instrument."

"Yes, well. It turned out that she had been wanting to learn it to surprise me on my birthday," Adam explained, smiling faintly down at the letter he held. She had been so nervous, yet the sparkle of excitement in her eyes had been unmistakable.

"Your birthday? I did not think you still celebrated it?"

"I didn't. It was by some miracle that she managed to remember the date."

"Did she play well?"

Adam nodded. "She most certainly did," the pride in his voice was unmistakable. "I was pleasantly surprised."

"I can well imagine," Eve chuckled, "relieved too, I can imagine?"

"Oh yes."

"What was she like then? That particular version?" Eve asked, settling herself on the sofa beside him.

"She was the daughter of a diplomat. A favourite of the Emperor, if I remember correctly."

As Adam told the story of their encounter in 18th century Vienna, Eve watched him closely. She became entranced with the way he described her, this young woman who had lived so many lives and loved so intensely.

"I have but one portrait of her," Adam said once his story had concluded. "From that time at least."

"I do not think I have seen that one," Eve replied thoughtfully.

Without a word, Adam rose from the sofa and approached the far wall. Reaching for a dust cloth that covered a portion, he pulled it down. As the cloth fell, a painting was revealed. A beautiful young woman was depicted in the painting. She was wearing a lilac gown, styled for the times. She was smiling in the painting, while in her hands she held a flute. The instrument was raised to her lips in the act of playing it.

Rising, Eve joined him before the painting. The young woman's hair was loose, unstyled as it tumbled free down her shoulders. "Y/N," she breathed, eyes wandering over every detail. Stepping forward, she could make out a plaque at the base of the gilt frame. "Vienna, 1784."

"How long were the two of you together before, well..."

Sighing, Adam folded the cloth over the back of a chair. "One month shy of a year."

The pair stood for a moment, looking up at the portrait before Adam moved away, heading to the record player and wordlessly switching it off. The room was bathed in silence until Eve joined him once more on the sofa.

"There may be a way for this madness to end."

Adam did not look to her in surprise. He merely shook his head. "Don't, Eve," he whispered, "please, don't." He knew where this was headed. He could not bare to face yet another dead end.

"I know you do not wish to hear it. But this time I believe I may truly have found something."

"I can't," he insisted, looking her in the eye, begging her. "Not again."

"I admit," Eve murmured, feeling the familiar guilt well up inside her from the last time they tried. "That the last time was a disappointment. A crushing one to say the least."

Adam, for his part, looked as though he wanted to be anywhere but where he was. "We have tried everything, Eve. Nothing works. I highly doubt he left a loophole."

"Hear me out, at least?"

Nodding, he motioned for her to continue.

"Before I tell you, I must ask you, have you ever tried to, you know, _feed_ off of her?" Even as she asked this question, she felt disgusted with herself, in truth, it had been quite some time since she had last hunted.

Adam was horrified by the very suggestion and shook his head. "I would never," he hissed defensively. "That thought never even crossed my mind."

"Have you ever thought to turn her?"

Silence answered her as Adam contemplated her words. When he spoke, he sounded resolute and sure. "I could never do such a thing to her. To further curse her to become like me-" he cut himself off, shaking his head. "No. I couldn't."

"As impossible as it sounds," Eve continued, holding up a hand to speak uninterrupted. "Have you considered the idea that perhaps this might be the way? The way to finally free yourselves from this unending cycle of heartache."

"I will not do such a thing to her," he insisted, standing up and beginning to pace. "She belongs in the bright, welcoming warmth of the sun, not in the skulking shadows of the night. She deserves the life that was stolen from her, not eternity spent as one that must feed on others to survive. She deserves a life, not a mere existence."

"Surely he would not expect you to do such a thing," Eve pressed, hands folded in her lap. _"That _must be our loophole. You must do the unexpected."

"I have yet to see her, Eve! What good will all this planning do if she is truly gone? What if Russia was the last time?"

"No," Eve shook her head. "I do not believe that. And nor should you. This is exactly what he wants. For you to lose hope."

"I cannot lose what I never had-"

"Stop this, Adam," she cut him off, "stop this right now. This is where he wants you. Don't you see that? He wants you to believe that you won't see her again. He delights in your despair." Pausing, Eve took a deep breath. "And besides, did you not tell me what he said that night? That it would be quite some time before you saw her again?"

Adam stopped his restless pacing and stared at his friend. She was right, of course she was! How could he have so easily forgotten such a thing?

Seeing the cogs turning in his mind, Eve continued. "I am positive that you will see her soon."

"You always were the more optimistic out of the two of us," Adam replied, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Luckily for you," Eve shot back, smirking.


	4. When Light doth grace the Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I will chase you, my love, to the edge of days.
> 
> ~ Atticus

_\- Vienna, Austria 1784 - _

_"Are you alright, my nightingale?"_

_Y/N nodded, albeit a little stiffly. The flute in her hands shimmered in the fire-light as she twirled it nervously. So far her audience had consisted solely of Adam. Her family didn't even know of her interest in the instrument she held. Tonight would be their first time seeing her play. Swallowing hard, she glanced at the gilt clock on the mantel. It was almost time for them to arrive. _

_"And remember, I will be there the whole time, so focus on me if you feel the need."_

_Smiling, Y/N bit her lip. "If I don't faint from the nerves first," she remarked. _

_Adam smiled and tucked a loose curl behind her ear. "There she is," he whispered and kissed her forehead. "They are your family, my love. Merely your parents and brother." _

_As if on cue, a loud series of knocks sounded on the front door. _

_"There they are," she murmured, mostly to herself before setting her features in a welcoming smile. Adam watched her as she swept from the room, all nerves seemingly left behind. Her soft voice floated in from the entrance hall as she spoke with her family. When he heard a mention of his name, however, he moved swiftly to stand by her side. _

_Her parents nodded in greeting while her brother shook his hand and smiled broadly. _

_"Shall we?" Y/N asked, her voice trembling as the nerves returned. _

_"So," her mother began, "what is this great surprise you have planned?" Her question was followed by a soft affectionate smile. _

_"Well, um," Y/N started to explain but soon broke off as a blush tinted her cheeks. "I, uh. I have started to play the flute," she continued in a tone that betrayed her tenuous grip on her composure. "I know you would rather I learn the piano or learn to sing, but...." her words and voice trailed off as she glanced between her parents. _

_"Why the flute, sister?"_

_Y/N let out a nervous laugh, "I honestly do not know. I suppose because I like the sounds they make?" She posed her answer as a question and began to twist her hands together. _

_In that moment, Adam wanted nothing more that to stand by her side and take her hands in his. But he knew what this occasion meant for her, he knew she needed this, as much as it pained him to sit by silently. _

_"Did Adam teach you?" Her father asked, folding his hands in his lamp and looking sideways at the man in question. _

_Y/N shook her head, her loose hair swaying with the movement. "No. Herr Mozart was kind enough to allow me a few lessons to gain adequate skill."_

_"Herr Mozart?" Her mother repeated, clearly impressed. "Surely he is a very busy man?"_

_Y/N smiled, the nerves slowly ebbing away. "Yes, Mamma, he is. So I count myself most fortunate for the opportunity to have learned from him."_  
  
_"Are you going to play for us tonight?" Her brother asked._

_"I will try too, yes," she replied. Taking a series of deep breaths, she went to retrieve the instrument. With the flute in hand, she settled herself before her small audience and with one brief glance at Adam, she began to play. _

_Although he had witnessed her play many times, it never failed to capture his full attention. The soft notes of the flute were expertly manipulated by her slender fingers, sending enchanting notes out into the air around them, ensnaring all who heard her. He watched, filled with pride, as she began to lose herself within the music. Her eyes drifted closed, she began to gently sway in time with the tune. _

_It looked and sounded as though she had been playing for years, rather than only for a few months. In his eyes, she appeared as an angel, who had deemed it fit to grace the human race with her presence. Even a damned soul such as his, she had seen fit to share her light with. _

_His silent observation of her came to an abrupt end when her family gave her a round of applause, praise she accepted with stuttered thanks and shy smiles. _

_"That was positively beautiful, my dear," her mother complimented, smiling brightly, her eyes shining with pride. _

_"It certainly was," Adam agreed in a tone that could almost be mistaken for reverent. His eyes never left her, for how could they? How could they, when she was his light in a world of unending night?_

_By the time her family left and it was once again merely the two of them, Y/N sat down on the sofa by the fire. The flute rested on the table before her. Sitting down beside her, Adam took her in his arms, prompting her to lay her head on his shoulder. "I do not believe you know just how proud I am of you," he said, tracing soothing circles on her sleeve-covered arm. "Or how much I love you."_

_Tilting her head, she looked up at him, her loose hair framing her face. "I believe I have some idea," she replied, grinning. _

_"Do you just?" _

_She nodded and bit her lip, as though to keep from smiling too widely. "Indeed I do, good sir. For I love you just the same, unfathomable amount."_

_The fierce, ever present love rose to new heights within him at her words. He would never tire of hearing them. Leaning down, he pressed a firm, ardent kiss to her crown, silently wishing for the feel of her lips against his. _

_Leaning into the touch, she sighed. It was both heavy and content. Heavy with forbidden possibilities, and content with the knowledge that they had stolen this moment from the one who had cursed them. _

_"Thank you for finding me," she whispered, her soft voice heavy with emotion. "For allowing me to remember."_

_"No matter which face you wear or what life you may lead," Adam replied in much the same tone. "I will always look for you. I will not run from you again."_

_She laughed softly, sadly. "So, we shall never have a repeat of what happened in France?" She sounded painfully hopeful. _

_Adam shook his head and held her tighter, the very thought of being separated from her causing a familiar cutting pain. "Never," he vowed. _

_Satisfied, she nestled further against him, head moving from his shoulder to rest against his chest. Her eyes were trained on the fire. "I only hope that one day we can end this."_

_"As do I, my love. As do I."_


	5. Hit 'n' Run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'I don't believe in magic.' The young boy said.  
The old man smiled. 'You will when you see her.'
> 
> ~ Atticus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a warning for the mild swearing that is used in this chapter. Also, any lines spoken by the characters that are in any which way similar to the ones spoken in the movie, do not belong to me, but to the original creators.

"I have to go out for about an hour or so."

Eve looked up from where she sat reading on the sofa. The sun had recently set, a few stray beams of light peaking out over the horizon, not quite ready to let go of the day just yet. "Oh?" Her eyes swept over Adam's chosen attire. "Are we playing Doctors?" She asked, smirking.

Choosing to ignore her remark, Adam shrugged on the white Doctor's coat and reached for the brown leather medical bag he took whenever he went for 'supplies.' "I shouldn't be gone for too long."

"Good luck with the surgery, _Doctor_."

Chuckling, Adam winked and padded downstairs. Once outside, he instinctively glanced over his shoulder before making his way to where he kept his car well hidden. After a few well-aimed tweaks, the engine hummed to life.

The desolation and the dark emptiness of the abandoned buildings sped by him as he found his way to the Metro Detroit Hospital. The dealings he conducted with the hospital's bloodbank thankfully never took long.

Passing through the near deserted corridors of the hospital, Adam would only give the barest of acknowledgments to the few doctors and nurses that lingered about on their night shift.

Slipping on his pair of darkened sunglasses, Adam approached the door to the lab in which the blood was collected and tested. Pushing the door soundlessly open, he slipped inside and walked over to where a certain Dr. Watson sat, unassuming and ignorant of his 'visitor.' It did not, however, take long for the good doctor to momentarily stop in his close examination of blood cells. For a brief moment, he froze, the feeling of someone watching him creeping along his spine. Slowly turning in his chair, he jumped in fright upon seeing Adam stand silently behind him.

"Bloody hell," he swore, his heart rate spiking briefly before slowly calming down. Resting a hand above his heart, he attempted to calm down. He internally scolded himself for his reaction, it was not the first time he had made contact with this mysterious Dr. Faust, who appeared seemingly out of thin air and would vanish without so much as a trace. The glasses he seemed adamant in wearing only added to his eerily quiet nature. Dr. Watson had never seen his eyes, he had only ever heard him speak. "You scared the living shit out of me."

Adam said nothing, choosing to remain as silent as he could. These transactions never lasted longer than either party desired them too.

"I have been expecting you," Dr. Watson continued, clearly on edge and putting a large enough distance between himself and the strange Doctor. "Doctor," he drew out the word as he peered at Adam's supposed name tag. "Doctor Faust."

At last he spoke. "It is good to see you too, Doctor Watson." His words were measured, as though he had only allowed himself to say so much. Without so much as a second thought, he drew from his coat pocket a think bundle of banknotes and handed them to the nervous Doctor before him.

Snatching them from Adam's outstretched hand, Dr.Watson quickly checked to see if anyone had crept in and seen what was transpiring. After quickly counting them, he pushed them deep into the pocket of his own coat. "You know," he began, swallowing nervously. "This whole setup, is a bit unnerving, at least, for me. Would you perhaps consider an alternative option and not meet in the hospital?"

Adam shook his head. This situation was working just fine and he saw no immediate need to change it just yet. "That would require some prearrangement."

Dr.Watson nodded, clearly agreeing. "Yeah, it would. It would also be a hell of a lot safer for me."

"I like to come to the source," Adam explained, his expression hidden by the medical mask he wore. "And besides," he added, "the mutual peril makes for good security. Now," his voice dropped a few octaves. "I do not really have any spare time," with those words, he pulled out a chair and set his open medical bag upon it.

Clearly able to take a hint, Dr. Watson moved to the nearby temperature-controlled cabinet wherein stood steel canisters of blood. "Then let me get you what you came for." With no further ado, he opened the door with an audible hiss and retrieved four cylindrical canisters. "Type O-Negative, as requested."

Adam watched him closely as he neatly lay the canisters atop each other in the bag before snapping it shut. Without a word or a backward glance, he strode from the room, supplies in hand.

The walk through the brightly lit corridors was a calm one. Or it would have been, had the doors of the emergency entrance not been blown open by harried looking paramedics. Adam, for his part, immediately faded into the shadows, the scent of the patient's blood quickly becoming too much.

A swarm of doctors and nurses surrounded the bed. Upon it lay a young woman. From what Adam was able to make out, she was terribly injured. Blood soaked bandages covered her arms and legs and were wrapped over a portion of her head. Dark purple, almost black bruises decorated her arms and what was exposed of her legs. The words of the paramedics and the attending doctors faded into a hum as Adam continued to inspect her from his hiding place. Her breathing was shallow and irregular, her neck held in place by a contraption of hard plastic.

"We have to get her into the OR right away," one of the doctors was saying to the team of nurses beside him. "We have to stop the internal bleeding and assess the true nature of the damage done to her spine."

The paramedics, relieved of their barely-alive patient, filed out of the room.

Having carefully transferred her from the ambulance bed to a hospital one, they made to wheel her away. In so doing, they passed by Adam. His curious eyes followed her as she approached and she drifted past. Her eye, the one not swollen shut, was cracked slightly open and met his for a single solitary second.

It was that second that stopped the clock for him. The world fell silent for Adam as he looked back at her. His carefully built defences crumbled into dust and soon it was his breathing that was becoming harsh and uneven. Instantly, he turned and headed for the nearest exit. His hands trembled as they opened the car door. His breath was now coming in heaving gasps and his vision swam. Fighting to steady himself and the heart that had not beat in five centuries, he started the car and drove as fast as he could.

Barely registering his arrival home, Adam replayed that moment over in his memory. Had he been imagining things again? Had the hallucinations returned?

Was it perhaps the sound of his music that eventually roused him and had him all but running up the stairs. He was confused. There had been none playing when he had left and Eve was not one to rifle through his collection to play whatever suited her. She respected his privacy, it was one of the many things he admired about her.

The sight that greeted him was far from pleasant. There, reclining on the couch beside Eve as though she owned the place, was her troublesome younger sister. Ava. It was safe to say that Adam detested the young vampire. Her presence only meant trouble. Trouble followed her like a loyal dog. Eve, on the other hand, did not look at all pleased. A look of relief passed over her pale features upon seeing Adam.

Adam, whose attention was riveted to the unwanted guest. "What the fuck are you doing here?" He demanded in a tone that was none too gentle.

"There you are," Ava sang out happily, jumping up from her seat beside her sister and bounding over to him. Adam remained as a statue as Ava enthusiastically hugged him, not all deterred by his lack of reception of the gesture. "You are still so beautiful," she sighed, drawing back to look up at him.

He was not impressed. He was thoroughly annoyed. "You didn't answer my question."

Not at all put off by his cold tone, Ava returned to her place beside Eve. "I was simply passing through and thought I would stop by."

"Fuck," Adam swore under his breath and looked to Eve. "Did you know she was coming?"

The older vampire shook her head. "I did not. I was, still am, just as surprised as you are by her arrival."

"Are you alone?" He demanded, busying himself with silencing the music and finding a seat as far from Ava a possible and setting his bag down on the floor beside him.

Ava grinned and shook her head. Adam groaned, dreading her next words. Whatever they were. "Of course I'm not. I'm here with you guys."

Brilliant. This was the last thing he needed, especially after what he had seen at the hospital. "Well, you can't stay here," he said a little louder, hoping to get the message across.

As Ava pouted, Eve stepped in. "Adam," she said his name in a gentle, reprimanding tone, her eyes sympathetic.

"There is no fucking way," he continued, already livid. "Especially not after the last time." He shuddered to think of it.

"That was eighty-seven years ago," Ava protested, "you can't seriously still be upset about that."

After some heavy persuading on her part, Eve managed to corral Ava into one of the smaller bedrooms. Adam was looking none too pleased by the time she returned. "As unexpected as her arrival is," Eve said upon sitting back down. "I do not believe that that is the cause of your distant demeanor tonight."

Standing up, Adam set the bag on the coffee table and retrieved a canister. "I am certain that I do not know what you mean."

"Adam, please. I have known you for a long time now. When have you ever managed to hide something from me?"

With a sigh that sounded much too heavy, Adam relented and sat beside his friend. No smile curved his lips and no fire lit his golden eyes. In truth, he looked shaken, as though his entire world had been turned upside down and inside out.

"What is it?" Eve asked, laying a gentle hand on his leg. "What has happened for you to appear so?"

"At the hospital. I saw something, someone." His voice trembled as he spoke, relaying the events of the evening to his friend. He omitted no detail.

"Are you sure? Are you positively certain?"

Adam nodded. His eyes were sad as they looked down at his hands. "She was so badly injured. There was not a single part of her that did not appear harmed in some way."

"Did the paramedics know what happened to her?"

"I only heard bits and pieces, I was too focused on her to hear much. But what I gleaned from their conversation was that she had been in an accident. A car going much too fast hit her."

Eve blanched upon hearing the news. "That is awful," she whispered.

"They said that the driver merely sped off again after she was hit. That's what they were told by the people who called the ambulance."

"Did they get a good look at the driver?"

Adam shrugged. "Only that she was female."

Eve worried her lower lip as she considered her options. This news unsettled her in more ways than one. She really ought to tell him, she owed him that much. "I may be able to help in that area."

Adam glanced at her and raised an eyebrow. "Unless you were the driver Eve, I don't see how you can."

Eve hesitated a moment before speaking again. She should have felt guilty for betraying such information, but no such sensation came. "No. I was not the driver." She took a deep breath before continuing. "Ava was."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OR = Operating Room


	6. The Distance Between Stars pt.1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I still love you with the same reckless disregard for my own wellbeing. 
> 
> ~ Beau Taplin (Reckless Disregard)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick heads up my lovelies, this chapter has been split into two.

_\- Paris, France 1626 - _

_No one took notice of her as she hurried through the bustling streets of the French capital. No matter how many times she traversed those streets, she always managed to somehow get very lost. She was terribly late and the cook would have her head the moment she stepped through the kitchen doors. _

_Her Master and Mistress were receiving guests that night. None of the servants knew who they were, only that they seemed to have come from abroad. The preparation for the rather extravagant dinner had already begun that morning. As a scullery maid, she never prepared the meals, only cleaned what was left of them after dinner had concluded. The scraps that were often left would have fed her family for close on two months. _

_After too many twists and turns, she finally arrived at the townhouse and hurried around to the back. The supplies she carried, she quickly passed to the kitchen maid. _

_"Be glad Marie is not here," Isabelle, the kitchen maid chided gently. _

_"Dare I ask where she is?" _

_"Upstairs talking with the Mistress."_

_"Upstairs?" She repeated in alarm, their kind never left the lower level of the house. She was sure she had never even ventured close to the stairs. _

_Isabelle nodded before walking off with the supplies. _

_Sighing, she set to work. It would be almost a year since she had arrived at this grand house. Her parents had been unable to afford two children and with her being the eldest, she had volunteered to seek employment away from home. _

_Her hands were soon red from the near constant immersion in the hot water that was required to clean certain dishes and cooking utensils. The kitchen buzzed with activity, the clashing of pots and pans became intermingled with the commanding voice of Marie Dubois, the cook. The sturdy middle-aged woman had little patience for her and disliked her from the moment she set foot in the kitchen. _

_More often than not, she was left to her own devices and no one ever bothered her when it came to the cleaning of dishes. It was a task that none desired to undertake. It was a methodical and monotonous task, but one she did not mind. Even though she was surrounded by foods that made her mouth water and her stomach grumble, not a bite of it was permitted to be eaten by the staff. _

_"Hurry up with that pot," Marie shouted from across the kitchen, "I need it for the sauce for the main course."_

_Nodding minutely, she focused once more on the small pot currently immersed in the sink and set to scrubbing it with a vengeance. Marie's tone whenever she spoke to her was like that of a slave driver. Harsh and unyielding. _

_When at last the pot is returned to its original state of cleanliness, she sets it to the side to dry. She barely notices it when it is snatched up again, she only hears the hissed insult thrown her way as Marie marches away. "Écume cicatricielle."  
_

_She ought to be used to these remarks by now. But her skin is not quite as thick as she would have hoped. The insults were often aimed at her disfigurement, a large burn on the side of her neck. An injury caused in an accident and one that she constantly tried to cover with her hair. _

_Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Isabella cast a sympathetic look her way. The kitchen staff are all well aware of Marie's dislike of her, but they dare say nothing, lest they find themselves booted out to the street. Marie runs the kitchen and everyone that works there. She only allowed her to work there at the Master's insistence and no one, not even Marie dared to defy him. _

_By the time the guests have arrived and the dinner is served, she was about ready to drop with exhaustion. She had washed the same pots and utensils more than ten times and she was dreading the aftermath of the meal already. Marie had insisted that the Mistress only wanted the very fine table settings used and every piece of it too. _

_With Marie in her small office to the side of the kitchen, she decided to take her chances and take a quick break before the dishes started coming down. Casting a quick glance around the kitchens, she stepped outside and took a deep breath of the night air. It was cool and was a balm to her flushed and heated skin. Taking the opportunity, she placed her rather too warm hands on the stone wall of the house and sighed with relief as the cold seeped into her. _

_Pressing her forehead to the cool stone for a brief moment, she moved to sit by the steps of the kitchen entrance. Letting out a heavy sigh, she leaned her head against the door post, the warmth of the kitchen at her back. She had little desire to go back in, at least until she was needed again. Closing her eyes, she allowed herself a small smile. Rest had become a distant notion to her since her arrival and so she took it whenever she could. _

_"Beautifully clear night, isn't it?"_

_Jolting upright, she opened her eyes and sought to identify the speaker. At first she did not see him, the voice sounding like that of a male. When he stepped out of the shadows, she jumped to her feet and curtsied low, keeping her eyes to the ground. "Good evening Sir," she said in return, not daring to look up. Merely by his tone, she knew he was one of the upper class and not from France. He bore an accent she was not quite familiar with. _

_"It's quite alright, girl." The gentleman assured her, his tone gentle. "You can look up."_

_She adamantly shook her head. "I cannot do that, Sir. It is not my place."_

_A beat of silence passed before he spoke again. "You are a servant of this house, are you not?"_

_She nodded, but remained silent. _

_"It so happens that I am a guest of your Master and Mistress."_

_She felt her eyes widen. Was he the only one? She had been under the impression that there were more. She longed to ask, yet dared not, for fear of appearing impertinent and nosy. _

_"You need not be afraid of me," he continued. "I shall make no mention of this meeting to your Master, nor that you broke protocol and looked up at me."_

_Her widened eyes narrowed. Was he mocking her? She dared not display her anger, it was not for a servant to act in such a way. _

_"Please, it always makes me uneasy when someone will not meet my eyes as I speak to them." His tone was strangely pleading. _

_She relented. "Are you sure, Sir?" The slight quiver in her voice betrayed her hesitance. _

_"Most definitely."_

_Biting her lip, she rose out of her curtsy and slowly lifted her head. The soft light coming from the kitchens cast him in a golden glow. His hair was as dark as a night without stars and his skin as pale as the moon. She had not seen many men in her time in service. The Master rarely visited and most of the kitchen staff was female. His eyes, she noticed, were a beautiful shade of blue. A blue the reminded her of those cloudless Summer skies that she used to play under as a child. His thin lips were curved into a soft smile. _

_So preoccupied was she that she failed to notice the look of shock that painted itself across his features. A look of recognition. A look she mistook for disbelief that she was, in fact, staring. "I apologise, Sir," she said hurriedly, once again directing her attention to the stone street below her feet. "I did not mean to stare, forgive me."_

_"You need not apologise," he murmured. "It is I who have forgotten my manners. Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Adam."_

_"Sir?" She asked, confused. Surely he bore a title? Nobility did not go around introducing themselves to servants by their Christian names. "Are you not a Lord?" She regretted the words almost as soon as she'd spoken them. _

_Instead of a reprimand, he laughed. It was a soft sound and she decided right then and there that she liked it. "To others, yes I am. But to you, I am simply Adam."_

_This confused her further. "Sir?"_

_A deeply pained look ruined the bright blue of his eyes. It vanished almost as quick as it had come. _

_It was then, that she realised that she was being extremely rude. Dipping once more into a curtsy, she introduced herself. "I am but a scullery maid, Sir. And if I may," she swallowed hard, she had not introduced herself to anyone for a while. Least of all a Lord! "My name is-"_

_"Y/N," Adam whispered, softly cutting her off. Her name had never sounded so beautiful. It had been much too long. _

_She stared at him in blatant shock. How could he possibly know her name? They had only just met. "How is it that you know my name, Sir?"_

_The smile he gave her was a sad one. "I fear my explanation will take some time, dear one. Time neither of us have at the present moment." Reaching out, he lay a gentle hand on her cheek. "I shall return tomorrow night."_

_Feeling more confused than she ever had, Y/N stared back at him. He _did_ seem strangely familiar. Before she had a chance to contemplate further, Isabelle called to her from the kitchen. _

_Adam watched her closely as she turned and headed back inside. At long last she had returned to him. Her position in life rendered him near speechless. She looked so tired and worn, even the enchanting eyes of hers appeared dull. He knew full well that her memories were locked away, he knew they were there. Yet it did not make it any easier when she clearly did not recognise him. _

_"You will remember," he whispered, his heart aching at her proximity. "You always do, my love. You always do." With those words, he melted back into the shadows, with every intent to visit until she was able to recall who she really was. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Écume cicatricielle," translates to "scarred scum".


	7. My World has Shattered

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I will chase you to the edge of days to our last tomorrows.
> 
> ~ Atticus

_It was her. _

Adam rarely lost his temper. And when he did, it was never directed at Eve. The fair haired vampire had never given him reason too.

_It was Y/N. _

"Is that how Ava came here?" He asked, voice dangerously calm. His blue eyes became icy. Eve nodded, opting to stay silent. It was not often that Adam frightened her, but now his eyes glimmered murderously in a way that Eve had never seen before.

_After nearly two centuries. _

"I knew it," he muttered to himself, "I knew that her presence here would only bring trouble. Only, I never thought it would involve-" he cut himself off, as though physically unable to say her name. Adam shook his head as though coming to a decision.

_Two centuries of agonised hoping. _

"Where are you going?" Eve finally asked, seeing Adam stalk from the room.

He stopped on the threshold and glanced over his shoulder. "The only place I _can_ go. But first, I'll get changed into something less..." he trailed off as though looking for the right word. "Zombie-like," he finally said, grimacing before disappearing out into the hallway.

Slumping back onto the sofa, Eve knew that she would have to go with him. There was no way she was letting him out of her sight when he was like this. He was likely to do more harm than good, no matter his intentions. And besides, she would be lying if she didn't admit that she wasn't even a _little _bit curious.

She was ready with a placating smile as she greeted him by the front door. "I'm coming with you and there's nothing you can do about it," she said, smirking and walking past him.

Sighing and shaking his head, Adam let it go. The drive to the hospital was a quiet one.

"If her injuries are as serious as you say," Eve said, breaking the silence. "Then there may still be a chance that she will still be in surgery."

Adam gripped the steering wheel tighter at his friend's words. Her point was valid. "Then we will wait," he stated as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

The moment they arrived, Adam all but leapt from the car, only slowing when Eve pulled him back. "Adam, listen to me, I know that this is _her _we're talking about," she held up a hand to stop any interruptions. "But I think it might be best if I did the talking, hm?"

Reluctantly Adam agreed. He was getting impatient. She was so close.

Together, the two of them entered in through the hospital's main entrance. "Can I help you?" The nurse at the reception desk asked them as they approached.

"Yes," Eve replied, "as a matter of fact, you can. We are looking for someone. She was brought in earlier tonight? Accident victim?"

The nurse narrowed her eyes at them. "Unless the two of you are family, I cannot disclose any information regarding a patient at this hospital."

Adam growled, low and impatient. His lips twitching as he fought the temptation to disclose some information of his own. Hearing this, Eve spoke again, her tone soft and somewhat hurried.

The words his friend spoke to the nurse went unheard by Adam as he fought to distract himself.

Eve's words must have finally persuaded the nurse to give up some information about the young woman. "Yes. A young woman was brought in tonight, accident victim like you said." Squinting at the screen before her, the nurse continued. "One Y/N Clearwater...."

"Y/N," Adam repeated to himself, smiling for the first time since this whole incident occurred. "Y/N." His voice dropped to a whisper, "oh my love."

"Unfortunately she is still in surgery," the nurse informed them. "The injuries she sustained are quite serious."

"Are they fatal?" Adam asked, speaking for the first time since their arrival. The words sounded like a plea. "Will she make it through?"

The nurse shook her head and sighed. "That remains to be seen. It all depends on how her body will respond."

Swallowing hard, Adam turned away from the reception desk, Eve following suit. "Adam? What is it?"

"Out of everyone of them," he murmured, "this is the most cruel. To bring her back, to allow me to see her, only to make her life so fragile..." he shook his head and took a series of stuttering breaths that shuddered through his entire being.

"The nurse said that the hospital will let us know how she fares."

Shaking his head, Adam replied. "No. I am done waiting. Despite what I said. I have to see her," the desperation in the words shook Eve to her core.

Opening her mouth to respond, Eve was interrupted by the hurried arrival of someone similarly dressed to the nurse sitting behind the desk. She appeared to be a little younger, but carried herself with a confidence that spoke of experience. The pair watched as she spoke in hushed tones to the reception nurse, who in turn directed her to where Adam and Eve stood.

"Good evening," the young woman, a Dr. Heathridge, greeted them. "I believe you are Miss Y/N Clearwater's emergency contacts?" Upon receiving a nod, she continued. "There is both good news and bad news, I'm afraid."

"The good first, if you don't mind," Eve replied, smiling kindly at the young woman.

"Very well," Dr. Heathridge complied. "Though serious, her injuries were not life threatening."

Beside her, Eve felt Adam relax a fraction. "If you don't mind, would you tell us what they were?" He asked, fighting to keep calm.

"A few broken ribs, a shattered right knee and a rather severe concussion. She was barely conscious when she was brought in." Dr. Heathridge explained after a quick nod to Adam. "A punctured lung was also discovered by duly dealt with. When she came in, the paramedics suspected her to have done damage to her spine."

"Did she?"

The Doctor nodded. "She did. Yes. But only a severe bruising, nothing was broken."

"And what might the bad news be?" Eve asked hesitantly, shooting a glance Adam's way.

"She is in a coma," the Doctor replied, looking between them both. "We believe the concussion, severe as it is, may have helped in causing it."

Adam said nothing. He merely stared at the air before him, barely registering the fact that Eve was speaking with the Doctor.

"Come along," Eve whispered to him, giving a slight tug on his arm. "They said we can see her, if we like."

_She is in a coma. _Those words ran on a loop through his mind. Driving him mad. _She is in a coma. _

Numbly, he followed Eve and the Doctor until they arrived at the ICU.

He saw her then and went to her. Drawn to her as like a moth to a flame. Out of every patient there, he knew where to go. There were four others there with her. Tentatively, he approached the bed.

No words came to him as he gazed down at her. With all those tubes and pipes connecting her to various machines. Her eyes, her beautiful eyes that he had only managed to catch a glimpse of, were closed. Delicate lids hid them from him. Extending a hand, he gently smoothed her hair, hand trembling as he did so. The strands were so soft beneath his fingers and the shade was so very close to the original colour.

His hand moved to rest gently atop her folded ones. There he felt the steady rise and fall of her breathing, a reassuring rhythm. Adam was sorely tempted to lace his fingers with hers, as they had done on numerous occasions before. She was still so beautiful. Even with a thick white bandage around her head and littered in bruises. Even hooked up to all those machines. She was still the most beautiful woman in his world.

At last, he found his voice and the words that came out were whispered, meant only for her. "Wake up, my darling. Please." He took a deep breath and bowed, touching his forehead to hers. "Please, my love. Come back to me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ICU = Intensive Care Unit


	8. The Distance Between Stars pt.2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There were magnets in my bones for the iron in her blood. 
> 
> ~ Atticus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologise my darlings for the late update, the uni semester has just finished and the last assignments, well......clever me left until the last minute. 
> 
> Anyway, please enjoy :) <3 And please, if there are any periods in history that you would like to see portrayed, please let me know :)

_\- Paris, France 1626 - _

_The sense of urgency that drove him to her alarmed him greatly. Something was wrong, terribly so. The feeling had been building all day and when the sun finally sunk below the horizon, he set foot outside. He was no longer staying with her Master and Mistress, Adam shuddered at the idea of another having such power over her. Especially when her status is life was already so fragile. _

_Weaving through the moonlit streets of Paris, Adam traced his way back to the house where she worked. The night before, he had had a dream of Eve's sister, Ava. He knew that in no way, could this bode well. He prayed that the dread he was now feeling was in no way connected to the younger vampire. _

_Meanwhile, completely unaware, Y/N worked diligently in the kitchens. Dinner had been served and tidied up and Marie had insisted that the floors needed a good scrubbing. Beside her, stood a bucket filled halfway with lukewarm water. Her knuckles were white as her hand gripped the scrubbing brush, she was determined to get the floor to shining. That way, Marie would have nothing to complain about. Although, Y/N was sure that she would soon find yet another minor transgression of hers to exploit. _

_As she worked, her mind wandered. It wandered in the direction of the dark haired gentleman that had been visiting for the past two months. Every night he came, as promised. With every visit, she felt as though she had met him somewhere before. His familiarity from the first night only seemed to grow and she had begun to look forward to his visits. They gave her a splash of colour in a world of muted greys and browns. Adam, that's what he insisted on her calling him. It was highly improper, yet something within her rejoiced, the part of her that recognised him, perhaps._

_Shaking her head, she forced herself to focus. Her legs had long since cramped up as she knelt on the hard floor. The indentations that separated the tiles pressed themselves into her knees through her skirts. _

_Would Adam come to visit this night? Y/N soon found herself wondering. If he did, she only hoped that she would be finished with her current task. It was late and the rest of the household staff had long since gone to bed. In truth, she did not mind the solitude. It was a nice change from the constant noise that came from working in a kitchen. _

_When the time came and she began her work on the last tile, her nails had chipped worse than before and the skin beneath had begun to bleed. Y/N tried to ignore the stinging pain that came from the small wounds coming into contact with the water. Swiping a few loose strands of hair away from her face with a damp hand, she sighed. Almost done. Looking over her shoulder for a brief moment, she glanced over the clean kitchen floor and felt quite pleased with herself. _

_It seemed, to her tired imagination, that the last tile was the dirtiest of them all. She began to scrub with a renewed vigor, eager to finish up and go to bed. Dunking the brush in the water for the last time, she let out a breath of relief. Reaching up with a trembling hand, she forced her cramped legs to straighten, groaning as she did so. She would be most surprised if she could walk steadily. _

_Reaching down, she lifted the bucket of filthy water and deposited the brush in the sink. On trembling legs, she slowly made her way to the kitchen door. The soft warm light of the remaining lamp shone out into the dark, creating a warm pool of light. Leaving the lamp where it stood on the windowsill, she slowly made her way down the three steps. Marie always wanted the dirty water thrown as far away from the house as possible. Y/N did not dare simply let it down the kitchen drain, Marie was sure to pick up on even the slightest traces. _

_Briefly considering taking the lamp with her, Y/N soon decided against it. She wouldn't be going far anyway. Shrugging her shoulders wearily, she trudged a few blocks until she came to an open sewer pipe. Wrinkling her nose, she hefted the bucket and quickly emptied it into the foul smelling sludge. _

_She was a block away from the house when she heard movement from behind her. She was too tired to be scared. Stopping, she cast a look over her shoulder but saw nothing, chalking it up to exhaustion, she shrugged and continued. When, once again she heard something, she told herself that it was just a group of alley cats. _

_The sound however, seemed to follow her. Finally having enough, she turned around. "Alright, look," she said to the shadows, "whoever you are that is following me, at least show yourself. The last thing I need is to be going mad."_

_There was a brief pause before a figure stepped out of the shadows. For a moment, Y/N thought that perhaps it might have been Adam. That thought quickly vanished as the figure was soon made out to be female. She was younger than Adam and was smiling in a manner that made Y/N's skin crawl. She seemed strangely eager about something. _

_"Who are you?" Y/N asked, glad that she merely sounded tired. _

_"Oh, how silly of me," the young woman replied. "I'm Ava." In greeting, she held out a small gloved hand. _

_Confused, Y/N simply stared at it until it was dropped to hang at Ava's side. _

_"I'm starving," Ava said suddenly, inching closer. _

_That appeared to snap Y/N back to attention. "The house where I work is not far. I am sure I can get you something...." her words trailed off as she caught the look in Ava's eyes. Was it her imagination, or had her eyes changed colour? For they now looked to be a particular shade of gold. _

_"Oh no," Ava whispered, her voice sending unpleasant shivers down Y/N's spine. "I am afraid that food just won't do."_

_Y/N made to ask for clarification when she suddenly felt her head being pulled roughly to the side, not a moment later, she felt something break the skin of her throat. A scream bubbled up but was quickly drowned out. _

_Time ceased to have meaning for her. Her legs had long since given way and the only thing holding her up was Ava. Ava, who at present, was sucking greedily at the wounds in her throat. She had tried to push Ava away but the young woman was a lot stronger than her petite frame suggested. Her vision swam, black beginning to creep in the edges. She knew what Ava was, a creature of the night, thought only to exist in stories. _

_Y/N barely registered it when Ava was suddenly pulled away and she fell to the ground. Or, she would have, had two strong arms not caught her. _

_"What the fuck is the matter with you?" _

_Y/N wanted to smile. It was Adam who had caught her, saved her from that monster in human form. His hissed words were evidently directed at her attacker. _

_"What?' Ava protested innocently, eyes still locked on the barely conscious young woman in Adam's arms. "I couldn't just let this one go to waste."_

_"She's barely alive," Adam growled, tightening his hold on her. "All because you couldn't control yourself."_

_"Why do you care anyway?" Ava challenged, eyes narrowing. It was not like Adam to care for the humans. "She's one of them."_

_"You know nothing," he snarled. "Now leave before I decide to do something I know I will not regret."_

_Glaring hard at her sister's friend, Ava finally took off in a huff, muttering lowly to herself as she disappeared into the shadows. _

_The moment Ava was gone, Adam turned to the woman that lay in cradled in his arms. He had been right to feel unease. Dreaming of Ava always meant trouble. The wound in her neck was large, a testimony to Ava's lack of control. "Shhh, dear one," he murmured soothingly, "you're going to be alright." He did not know how much blood Ava had taken. _

_"Adam?" She croaked, her ruined throat moving as she tried to speak. _

_He nodded and smiled down at her. "I am right here, my love. Right here." Holding her with one arm, he swiftly untied the apron she wore and used it to staunch the blood. "Hold on, darling. Hold on." _

_"My love," she whispered. "You've called me that before."_

_Adam could only nod. The words were lodged in his throat and refused to come out. Was she finally remembering? At last, after a soft cough, the words came out. "Yes," he replied, smiling tenderly down at the injured woman. "Many times."_

_"What else did you call me?" She asked weakly. _

_"Angel," he replied, bending to kiss her forehead. "Darling, love. Light of my life. My little-"_

_"Dove," she murmured, eyes wide as she regarded him. "Your little dove." With a trembling hand, she cupped his cheek. "Adam? My heart's darling?" She asked, tears gathering in her eyes._

_Adam could only stare. _

_"I remember," she said softly, her voice a mere breath. "My darling, I remember everything."_

_That seemed to snap him out of the trance he had fallen into. "Do you, my love?" He asked, breathlessly. "Please say you do."_

_Y/N nodded weakly and smiled as best she could. "I'm sorry it took me so long this time." _

_"Hush," he soothed, drawing her closer, "there is no need for that."_

_"I'm dying, aren't I?" She sounded so scared. _

_"Not if I can help it." _

_"But how can you?" Y/N asked, "she took so much already."_

_"There is a way," Adam replied, sounding reluctant. _

_"Do it, please," she begged, clinging to him. "I do not want to go so soon after remembering."_

_"If I do this," he said, a deep grief entering his eyes. "You will forget me."_

_Y/N shook her head. "No. I could never forget you. Not by choice at least."_   
  
_ "I am so very sorry," he muttered, kissing her hair and cradling her. "Please forgive me, my love. Please."_

_Y/N felt her eyes drift closed, words of love fading on her lips as a deep power worked to heal her. _

_Adam watched her as he held her. She looked as though she were sleeping. He watched as the wound on her neck slowly healed. A ragged gasp tore from within him. Twice in the same lifetime, he would lose her. Twice she would forget him. _

_After what felt to be an eternity, she shifted in his arms. As she opened her eyes, Adam allowed himself a brief moment. As her eyes met his, he wanted to believe that she knew who he was. That hope was shattered the moment she spoke. _

_"Sir? I do not wish to be rude, but who are you?" _


	9. Curiosity killed the Cat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One look at you and I knew that if the stars could name themselves the entire sky would be on fire with yours. 
> 
> ~ Beau Taplin (Names)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> y/f/s = your favourite scent.
> 
> y/f/f = your favourite flower.

"Where have you two been?" Ava asked, jumping up from the sofa. The album that had been resting on her lap fell as she stood.

In an instant, Adam was there, collecting all the fallen artifacts together. He handled each piece with the utmost care. "Was it not enough to arrive uninvited?" He growled, "that you now also felt the need to pry into my personal things?" He looked at Ava as he spoke, holding the album close.

"Who is she anyways?" Ava asked, ignoring the hostility radiating in waves off of Adam.

A strained silence descended on the trio as Ava waited for an answer. She did not miss the way he held the album, as though it were the most precious item he owned. His apparent protectiveness of it only increased her curiosity.

"Is she like us?" She asked eagerly.

Adam shook his head and Eve shot her sister a warning look, silently asking her drop the subject.

Ava however, refused to give up. "So, what is she then?"

"None of your business, that's what she is," Adam replied, impatience leaking like acid into his voice. "You would do well not to pry any further." With those words, he stalked from the room.

"What's the matter with him?"

Eve looked at her sister as though she was speaking a foreign language. Blinking a few times, she sat down, gesturing for Ava to do the same. "This is a very sensitive subject for him."

"Why?" Ava asked, genuinely curious. "Has it got anything to do with that woman the album is about?"

Eve nodded. "Yes."

"Just who is she? I didn't think Adam cared about anyone, aside from you perhaps."

Eve was at war with herself. This was not her story to tell. It was Adam's and it was immensely private. Yet she knew that he would be reluctant to share the story, least of all with Ava. Aside from herself, Eve wasn't sure if he had even told anyone else.

"It is not for me to say," she said at last, earning a disappointed look from her younger sibling.

"Would he tell me? If I asked _really really _nicely?"

Eve shook her head and sighed. "I highly doubt it. You've landed yourself in some rather hot water after tonight's stunt."

"I was just looking," Ava protested, indignant.

"Precisely. One does not rifle through another's photo albums without asking first."

"As if he would have let me," Ava muttered, huffing in annoyance.

Eve smiled. "Probably not."

In the silence and solitude of his room, Adam gently laid the album on the table he had set aside for it. It was littered with candles smelling of y/f/s. Vases filled with y/f/f stood among them, adding a sense of life to the rather grim display that was his life.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, gently tracing the lines of her face in the only photograph he had of her. Russia, the lifetime before this one. The black and white tones of the image did nothing to detract from her beauty. "I'm sorry I didn't take better care of you. Ava has always been nosy, sticking her nose into things that have nothing to do with her."

It was rather a beautiful display, that much he would admit. Almost like a shrine.

"But now I've found you again." Adam smiled sadly, his trembling fingers tracing the shapes of her eyes and lips. "Holding onto life by a thread, it would seem." He paused a moment before speaking again, this time in a whisper. "You have always been strong, my love. I pray that you remember that strength now." Gently closing the album, he sighed before lighting the candles, filling his room with a familiar warmth and the comforting scent that was always so loved by her. If she was wealthy, it would be her perfume. If she was of the lower classes, one such flower would be tucked securely in her hair or behind her ear.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "What are you now, I wonder?" He murmured thoughtfully. "I only pray that you will soon wake, my darling."

Eve stood, silently watching at the room's threshold. She could not deny that she too was curious. She knew what the album contained and would not dare to even touch it without Adam's express permission first.

As he lapsed once more into silence, Eve saw her chance. Knocking gently on the door frame, she smiled when he turned to face her.

"How long have you been standing there?" He asked, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"All together, not all that long."

As though by silent invitation, she came and sat beside him, her gaze traveling in the same direction as his.

"Does Ava know?" Adam asked wearily.

"Of the story? Or Y/N in particular?"

"Both."

Eve sighed and shook her head. "I do not believe she does. At least, that is what she made it sound like." She turned slightly to looked at her friend. "I fear that her curiosity will only grow. She will not stop asking until one of us tells her something."

Adam shook his head. "There is no way in the all the levels of hell, that I am telling her anything. You know what happened in France. I cannot risk that happening again," his voice became softer towards the end. "She is so fragile this time. Barely hanging onto life."

Eve smiled sadly and rested her head on his shoulder, eyes trained on the candlelit table. Y/N was beyond precious to him, held in an impossibly high regard. In her long life, Eve had never once experienced the love that made their story so tragic. She had never felt that connection to someone.

"How long do you think it will take this time?" Adam asked, as though vocalising his thoughts. "Before she remembers."

"I cannot say," Eve replied. "I suppose it all hangs on when she wakes up."

Beside her, Adam hummed in agreement. "If she ever does. It would be just like him, to put her so close within my reach, yet still so impossibly far away."

"She will wake, Adam," Eve said, determination colouring her words. "I know she will."

Unknown to both, Ava stood listening, her ear pressed to the wood of the closed door. Her eyes widened a fraction as her mind began to piece the puzzle together. The story was infamous, but one that she never would have imagined to be true. Nevertheless, she still had questions. She still needed answers and damn it! She would get them, one way or another.


	10. All it takes is a kiss...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was never the way she looked  
always the way she was  
i could've fallen in love with her with my eyes closed. 
> 
> ~ Atticus

Darkness. That was all that she was aware of. That and a pain that wrapped itself around her like a poisonous vine, refusing to let go. The vine held her tight, not even allowing her the smallest inch of movement.

It was a futile effort to struggle, she knew that.

Yet, through the restricting haze of pain and the relentless crushing of the dark, a much softer sound managed to worm its way through. It was the soft sound of someone speaking. They spoke softly and sounded so very far away. She had no idea who they were, yet something within her leapt at the sound of the voice. She could never make out any exact words, only sounds and sometimes the melodious tune of humming.

She saw nothing. No light accompanied the voice. No guiding light that might ease the constant discomfort. How very badly she wanted to stretch her hands out into the dark and hope that someone would grasp back.

The dark was heavy, a crushing weight on her already aching shoulders. She wanted to lift it and push it off, letting it tumble away into oblivion. She had always preferred the light and the feeling of safety and security that seemed to emanate from it like a pulsing warmth.

_"Help me,"_ she wanted to scream, yet not even her mouth and throat would obey her. She was paralysed. Held in place by the restricting bonds of agony.

Adam watched her as he sat beside her bed for the countless time that week. She lay so perfectly still, it was only the steady rise and fall of her chest that reassured him that she still walked among the living.

He was fascinated. Enchanted. Heart-sore. He doubted very much that she could hear anything he said to her, whispered as the words were.

"I wonder," he murmured, eyes sweeping over her form before finally settling on her face once more. "I know that you cannot hear me, but I wonder, would even the slightest touch register?" The words became soft and ultimately trailed off in silence as he contemplated the possibility. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw that the nurse on duty was busy attending to another patient.

Steeling his resolve, Adam reached out and gently lay a hand atop her folded ones, much like he had done that first night he had seen her. But, unlike that night, he now wove their fingers together, lacing hers with his own.

She thought she was imagining things. After goodness-knows how long in the dark, she felt something other than the crippling pain. Had she been able to look down, she would not have been able to see anything. But something was definitely there, holding her hand in a gentle reassuring grip. Oh how badly she wished to return it, but her hands would not move. It felt so familiar, the manner of it all, yet she could not place it, like a strange sense of déjà vu.

_"Don't let go,"_ she wanted to say to whomever was holding her hand. _"Please don't let go."_ Yet try as she might, her lips remained unmoving and her voice remained silent.

Daring to take it a step further, Adam took the hand he held and raised it to his lips, tenderly kissing each knuckle. Sitting back down with her hand held firmly in his, Adam spoke in a voice softer than falling snow. "I will not leave you," he promised, "not after nearly two centuries of searching. You have finally come back to me, and I will not let you go."

The voice had become a little clearer to her now, yet the words it spoke were still irritatingly muffled. The faint pressure she had felt on her knuckles would have made her cry from the sheer tenderness of it all, yet not even her tear ducts seemed to be within her realm of control.

When Eve came to fetch him, she found him beside her bed, head bowed and resting on the bed, one of her hands held firmly in his own. She did not wish to disturb him, but she did not want to arouse any suspicion with the hospital's night staff.

Approaching the bed, she lay a soft hand on his shoulder. "Adam?"

Raising his head, he glanced around until he saw Eve standing beside him.

"Time to go, I'm afraid," Eve explained softly and hated herself for the brief pained look that flashed through his eyes at her words.

Adam nodded slowly, but did not move from where he was. "I can't leave her, Eve. What if she were to wake and I am not there?"

In truth, Eve found herself at a loss for a suitable response. She was silent for a moment before finally finding her voice again. "I have spoken with the staff. They will notify us should anything change for her. When she wakes, we will be the first to know."

Stepping away to allow them a last moment of privacy, Eve waited by the entrance to the ICU.

All too aware of his dwindling time, Adam stood and pressed a gentle kiss to her bandaged forehead. Gently laying her hand back atop her other one, he let go. "I will return soon, my love," he vowed. "Remember your strength," the words were whispered close to her ear before he finally drew back and joined Eve.

The loss of the hand that held hers and the silence that followed the voice, had her wanting to cry out in desperation for them to come back. _"Don't leave me," _she pleaded with the darkness that surrounded her. _"Don't leave me here. Don't leave me alone." _The words however, were swallowed as though they had never been spoken in the first place.

Not even a whimper escaped her as the pain returned full force. How much longer? How much longer was she to endure this torment? Then came a question that should have been posed long ago. How did she even end up here? The last she remembered, she was on her way home from work, intending to call her parents for their wedding anniversary.

Her parents! Oh goodness, how worried they must be. Did they know where she was? Did they know what had happened? Did the voice know them? Had whomever it belonged too, told them?

The nurse currently on duty in the ICU, came to check on her. Still too weak to breathe on her own, she was being assisted by the small pump-like machine that stood beside her bed. However, as the nurse tentatively lifted an eyelid to check her eyes, she saw the faint trail of what could only be described as a lone tear.

Gasping softly, the nurse left her patient and approached a man dressed in a white doctor's coat. He stood, waiting patiently at the entrance to the ICU.

"Anything?" He asked her, the mellow tone of his voice sending shivers down her spine. Shivers of an unpleasant nature.

Swallowing hard, she nodded. "A tear. Just one."

The man hissed, sounding unnervingly similar to a snake, his eyes too, as they narrowed into slits. "Did anyone come to see her?"

The nurse nodded. "A man. He's come everyday for most of this week."

"What did he look like?" He asked, in a low voice.

"He looked to be in his thirties," the nurse replied, thinking back to the young woman's visitor. "He had dark hair that reached just above his shoulders. He looked extremely pale, as though he hadn't seen the sun in quite some time."

"The next time he comes, you notify me," the man instructed. His eyes went to the unconscious young woman on the bed. "Should she show signs of waking, sedate her immediately. I cannot have her waking just yet."

The nurse nodded. If she was confused, she hid it well. "Yes, of course Doctor. But may I ask why?"

The man shook his head. "No you may not. But in time you will come to understand why I have asked this of you."

Taking his words as a dismissal, the nurse quickly made herself scarce, thus missing the glint in his eyes that briefly changed them to an obsidian black, the whites completely disappearing.

Ensuring the nurse was nowhere to be seen, he approached the prone form of the young woman. He sighed, looking down at her. She looked so close to the original. It was clear that Adam knew who she was. Else he would not visit as religiously as the nurse said he did.

Rolling back the white sleeve of the Doctor's coat and of the black business shirt beneath, he exposed a rather intricate tattoo of a snake. Whispering words in a long forgotten language, he coaxed the reptile to life.

"I cannot have you open those eyes just yet," he murmured, watching as the snake slithered from his arm and across the sterile white of the hospital sheets. He watched, smiling as the snake, whose scales glittered like fresh blood, slid behind her neck to deliver its paralysing poison. "You will sleep until all hope is gone." Having done its work, the serpent slithered back to its infernal master.

"Very good, my pet," he crooned as the snake once again became a mere work of art on his forearm. "You will sleep," he said to her unconscious form, "only to be woken by that which will end you."


	11. Those that bloom at night...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is absolutely terrifying the kind of deep suffering the happiest looking people are able to hide inside themselves. 
> 
> ~ Nikita Gill (Suffering in Silence)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly have no excuse.... not a good one anyway...

"Where does he go every night?" Ava asked her sister.

Eve glanced sideways at her sister. "Have you tried asking him?" Already she knew the answer to that.

Ava shook her head and crossed her arms, "he pretends I'm not here most of the time, I highly doubt he'll answer any of my questions."

Eve shrugged and nodded, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth, "that's probably true." Beside her, Ava slumped into a sulk, crossing her arms and laying her head on her sister's shoulder.

A blissful few minutes passed, silent and peaceful with only the nightlife to make any sound. That peace was shattered when Ava sprung up as though shot through with adrenaline. Without so much as a word, the younger vampire began to rifle through Adam's rather extensive collection of records. A small "aha" sounded as she successfully located the one she had apparently been looking for.

"Ava," Eve warned her, knowing full-well what would happen should Adam discover them. Ava never returned them to their original place.

"It's just one," Ava replied, shooting her sister a wink over her shoulder. "And besides," she muttered while placing the record correctly on the player. "He's not even here."

Eve wanted to protest, Adam had in fact not gone out and was upstairs. She smirked to herself at how much effort he put into distancing himself from Ava. Her presence annoyed and irked him, the nosiness of the younger vampire had always driven him to distraction.

The music had only just begun to play when the lights flickered and the singer's voice distorted. Ava, who had been dancing to the piece, stopped and glanced over at the record player as the music stuttered once more before the room, indeed the entire house, fell into darkness. "What the hell?" She whined, flopping down on the couch beside Eve.

Not a moment later, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed into the living room. Gesturing for her sister to remain where she was, Eve followed the sound.

"What happened there?" She asked, exiting the house just after Adam.

"Not sure," he replied, making his way over to a hatch in the ground. "I'm gonna have to have a look. Shouldn't take too long."

Already familiar with the procedure, Eve began to wander. The garden, if it could be called that, was bathed in the soft light of the moon and the solitary streetlight that gave off a weak golden light. With a small smile, she let her hands trail over the various plants, softly murmuring their names and quiet greetings.

As Adam was finishing up behind her and securing the latch, Eve spotted a plant that she had never seen before. Indeed, she had only read about it. It grew quite close to the house and was drenched in moonlight. The white blossoms standing in sharp contrast to their dark surroundings. Kneeling down, Eve reached out and traced the shape of the petals. "Adam?" She called softly, "do you know what these are?" In truth, she could only suspect.

Behind her, Adam gasped softly, as though taken by surprise. "Moonflowers," he replied, whispering the name as though entranced.

"Moonflowers?" Eve repeated, looking from her friend to the flowers and back again. "Are you sure?"

Adam nodded, his eyes becoming sad before he shook his head as though to clear them. "I've seen them enough to know."

"You've seen them before?" Eve could not keep the surprise from her question. Often she had read of these flowers and seen photographs of them, but never had she imagined that she would ever see them for real.

"More times that I'd like, if I'm being honest."

"Why do you say that?" Eve asked, standing up and facing her friend.

"They started appearing after Russia," Adam explained, a bittersweet emotion colouring his eyes a deeper blue. "After she faded in Russia, they began to crop up everywhere I dared to settle down."

"I wonder why," Eve murmured, looking back down to the flowers.

"A reminder. That's what I used to believe," Adam said softly, eyes trained on the blooms. "A way of taunting me."

"But why use _these _flowers?"

Sighing, Adam folded his arms and replied. "Because, while in Russia, I took her to explore the winter garden at the Imperial Winter Palace. There, she saw some night-blooming flowers, not these ones but very similar. She pointed them out to me and told me all about them." His lips curved in a gentle smile. "She was so excited by them, enchanted even."

"And that was when she faded?" Eve asked softly, hating herself for the brief flash of pain in his eyes as he nodded.

"Shortly after, yes."

A heavy silence settled around them. A silence punctured only by the distant yowl of a cat and the distant screeching of tyres.

"I'll have to lock my tapes away, won't I?" Adam asked after a short while, glancing across at Eve.

Eve, taking his meaning, nodded. "I'm afraid so. She's becoming very liberal."

Groaning, Adam shook his head. "She's gotta go, Eve. She's gotta go before she causes even more trouble that she already has."

Eve hummed in agreement as she followed Adam back into the house.

"Fuck," they both muttered in unison as one of Adam's tapes could be heard being played.

Entering the living room, Adam went straight for the tape player and silenced it, glaring daggers at the dancing Ava. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

"Listening to music," Ava replied, grinning. "It's brilliant Adam, can I get a copy?"

Adam narrowed his eyes. "No."

"What did I tell you, Ava, hmm?" Eve swept passed Adam and stood beside her sister.

"It's just music," she replied, trying to excuse her actions.

"Its private," Adam hissed, "that's what it is."

Ava glared at him and folded her arms. "So is everything else," she snapped.

"Yet that doesn't seem to stop you from snooping," Eve cut in, eyeing Adam and feeling the hostility roll off him in waves.

"You're taking his side now?" Ava whined petulantly. "You're my sister, you're supposed to be on my side, remember?"

"This isn't about sides," Eve replied calmly. "It's about respecting privacy."

"Then you'll probably want this back," Ava said quietly.

"I'll be wanting what back?" Adam asked, eyeing Ava suspiciously.

Without a word, Ava drew something from within her dress pocket and handed it to him.

His hands trembled as he looked down at what he held. He had not seen this for nigh on two centuries. A stuttered gasp shuddered through him. He had given this to her a few days after it had been taken. Within an oval golden locket was a photograph, black and white. She, dressed in Russian royal garb and him, in a suit of the times. She was seated while he stood behind her, their hands joined as they rested on her shoulder.

"Where, where did you get this?" He choked out, gaze glued to the image.

"It was on the grill of my car," Ava murmured, not meeting Eve's gaze.

Closing the locket with a soft snap, Adam took a deep breath. "I have to go."

"Where?" Eve asked, following him out to the entrance hall.

Turning to face her, Adam paused before answering. "Am I a fool to hope?" The sheer vulnerability in his voice shook Eve.

She shook her head. "Hope is never foolish and you have more right to it than anyone I know."

She did not go with him this time.


	12. While I breathe, I hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Come my darling, it is never too late to begin our love again.
> 
> ~ Atticus

He thought it had been lost, disappeared forever. Now it seemed to burn into the skin of his palm as he held it, turning it over in the bright light of the hospital reception. Pure gold it was, bearing intricate carvings on either side. It's delicate chain was wrapped around his wrist, the small links shimmering.

Heaving a sigh, Adam began to make his way along the well-known path to where she rested.

The first thing he noticed was the absence of the bandage around her head. With that gone, it would simply have looked as though she were sleeping, had it not been for the machine that was helping her to breathe. Her chest rose and fell in a regular rhythm, even as her eyes remained closed and hands folded over her stomach.

Moving to sit beside her, Adam gently took one of her hands and held it securely in his own. The locket in his palm pressed into the back of her hand, the carvings imprinting on her skin.

"I am not entirely sure if you would recognise the origin of this object," he murmured. "Even so, the fact that you were in possession of it has given me more hope than I have had in centuries. Since this whole ordeal began."

There was a brief silence before he spoke again, a small smile had painted itself on his lips. "It had been an early Christmas present. You had always wanted a locket, even before all this. Something about them fascinated you, I never managed to find out why. I never saw you a day without it," he added, eyes going distant as he gazed at her. "You had insisted on wearing it even if it did not fit with the outfit chosen for you. You always were rather stubborn."

With his words trailing into silence, Adam bowed his head and rested it on the bed, their entangled hands pressed to his heart.

It hurt less now. At least her head did. Yet the darkness remained. It felt less cloying than it did before, now it merely brushed against her instead of weighing down on her like a wet blanket. It was less substantial now.

Something was different. She could feel something against the back of one of her hands. It was cold, yet the hands that held hers were cooler. Her other hand, the one not held, rested against something else, something slightly rougher, something that felt like a material of some kind. Curious, she wanted to feel more, but did not feel her hand move in accordance to her wishes. It stayed where it was.

"What have we without hope? Even though I have not had much of it these past years."

The voice! She longed to turn her head towards it. Towards him, for the voice was surely male. She wanted to ask him who he was. Yet not a muscle in her body would obey her.

"You look different in the photograph of course. I doubt you would even believe me if I told you." He sounded so very tired, exhausted by a weight that was heavier than all the waking hours of the day.

Photograph? What photograph? She was beyond confused.

"This locket," he paused, "is yours. I know this to be true."

Her eyes would have widened. Now she was beginning to understand. She'd had that locket ever since she could remember, not even her parents were aware of how she had acquired it. But how did this man, who ever he was, know that it belonged to her?

"I thought I would never see it again. Not after what happened the last time."

_The last time? _

"It was snowing when I gave this to you. As it always did in Russia, at least, around Christmas."

_Wait, WHAT? _She knew him? She had never been to Russia, or had she? His words struck a chord and images like long forgotten dreams swam before her eyes. Indistinct images, the faces were blurred and the voices muffled. Yet there, at the centre of the all the confusion, stood a young woman. Dressed in imperial finery, she danced with a man, a man that seemed confusingly familiar.

He sighed, the sound of it breaking through her thoughts. "Without a doubt I am a stranger to you," he said this quietly, the words laced with a pain she could never even imagine. "That you haven't the slightest clue who I am." She heard him take a rather unsteady breath. "But I know that, with time, things will change, hopefully for the best."

She desperately wanted to agree, to say that she shared the sentiment, but not even her eyes would move, let alone her jaw.

"Eve believes that it will take no time at all, that we must simply be patient and wait for you to wake."

The list of questions in her head only grew. Who was _he_? Who was _Eve? _Why did his voice sound so familiar, like she had heard it countless times before? Why did the coolness of his hands not alarm her? Why did she feel the need to comfort him?

"She always was the optimist out of the two of us. Especially after I told her what had happened. From then on, she has been trying to find a way, even though it will in no way benefit her. That's the kind of person she is," the smile was evident in his voice, the fondness for this woman as clear as day. "She gives and helps without thought to payment or how this might enrich her in any way."

_Who are you? _She wanted to ask, even as part of her mind told her that she already knew.

"She never gave up," he continued. "Even after all these years, after all our failed attempts. That's why she came over, you know, to help."

With each word he spoke, a picture began to form in her mind and a name began to take shape.

"It has been almost two centuries," he murmured. "Enough time to make anyone lose hope. But Eve would not allow it. She always insisted that you were out there somewhere. She refused to let me wallow in grief and self pity and instead encouraged me to search for you. I know this must all sound rather ridiculous to you, nevertheless," his words trailed off into silence, as though he didn't even want to think of the aforementioned suggestion. As though it pained him.

"Between me finding you again and the reappearance of your locket," he said, taking a shaky breath. "It has given me a reason to hope for something that could very well be impossible. My angel. My precious one." His grip on her hand tightened. "Remember your strength, even if you do not remember me." A soft pressure to her forehead followed the words and preceded a whisper. "My little dove," the words fanned over her and into her mind.

_"My little dove." _He had called her that before! The way he said it would have made her smile, had she been able too.

"I fear I must go," he whispered, gently squeezing her hand. "But you have my word I will return."

She could feel him leave. That sense of comfort and security that surrounded him disappeared, melted away. She felt lonely again. Lonely and aware.

A bright light in her right eye made her want to shy away. It stung horribly. She could make out little beyond it, she could only hear the faint gasp of whomever held the light.

It was, however, the voice of another that made her want to run as fast and as far she possibly could. Her skin crawled.

"What is it?" The voice hissed, sounding impatient and somewhat irritated.

"Her eye," the light holder replied, voice trembling like a leaf in autumn. "It moved when I used the light."

There was a brief pause before the other speaker spoke again, filling the silence with his oily words and poisonous voice. "What do you mean it moved? She cannot move, I made sure of that."

_WHAT?! _And there she was, beginning to think that she had broken her spine and had gone blind, knowing her luck. But no, she was being kept like this _on purpose?!_

"It twitched under the light."

A sigh rippled through the room, a sound of barely restrained rage. "That will be all," the second speaker said, sounding dangerously calm. The hurried sound of footsteps signaled the departure of the female speaker.

"A rather unfortunate development indeed," he said, voice a little closer as though he was bending towards her. "But one that can easily be remedied."

She wanted to cry out at the brief stab of pain at the back of her neck.

"That should hold for the next time Adam pays a visit," he said, sounding thoughtful and mildly smug. "And he'll be none the wiser."

_Adam? _Had she been able to move, her brow might have furrowed in confusion. Confusion that soon gave way to a stunning realisation. He had been her visitor, the one that held her hand and spoke softly to her. _Adam. _The one that spoke to her of her locket and how he supposedly had been the one to give it to her. _Adam. _The one who claimed she had been to Russia. _Adam. _The one who had called forth memory-like dreams with a few simple words. The sense of another life lived, in a different time. _Adam_. Who pressed gentle kisses to her forehead and to her knuckles as though she were some Lady. _Adam. _Who's presence comforted her and brought a sense of familiarity that made her heart smile. _Adam. _

_"You are mine. I will never let you go. Ever." _

Words spoken in the quiet of a Russian winter garden, beneath the twirling lights of the Aurora.

_"No matter which face you wear or what life you may lead, I will always look for you. I will not run from you again."_

Words whispered tenderly before a fireplace in Vienna.

_Adam....my love. _

Oh how her soul danced and her heart rejoiced at something her mind had not quite forgotten. Not like it was supposed too.


	13. A dream within a dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I look at her sometimes and wonder out of all the faces in the world how did I find one that was so perfect for me.
> 
> ~ Atticus

_"Adam?"_

_At the sound of his name, he turned. Yet he saw no one. What he did see was a landscape he had thought never to see again. He would be able to tell this place from a thousand others. The trees around him whispered in the soft morning breeze as the sky slowly lightened. Hues of peach and radiant orange stretched out across the sky, preceding the sun. _

_"Adam?"_

_Again, his name, spoken in an achingly familiar voice. One he had not heard for quite sometime. It was softer than he remembered, barely there. He spun, looking desperately for the source of the sound. Once again, he found nothing. "Am I imagining things?" He murmured, running a hand through his hair as his eyes searched his surroundings. _

_"I certainly hope not," the voice said again in a tone of light amusement. _

_This time the voice was a little louder, a little more substantial. It seemed to come from his left. Turning in that direction, Adam immediately shied away. The sun, though soft, threatened to incinerate him where he stood. _

_"The sun will not harm you," she said, her voice seeming to come from the light itself. "Lower your hands, my love, and you shall see that I speak the truth." _

_Slowly, he did as instructed, hands trembling as he did so. Steeling himself, he opened his eyes. No pain came to him, nor did his skin blister and burn. _

_"There we are," she said, voice heavy with affectionate emotion. "You are much too beautiful to hide away in the shadows." _

_Her words, her very voice, had him looking into the beam of sunlight that shone directly through the trees to his left. There, in the particles created by the dust on the ground, a form began to take shape._

_Stepping away from the light that helped to form her, she smiled at him. She did not wear the face of a stranger, oh no. She looked as she had then. Her hair was loose and swayed gently in the cool morning breeze. "Adam," she whispered. _

_"Y/N?" _

_She nodded. "Yes, my darling. It is I."_

_"Is this a dream?"_

_"Not quite," she replied softly. "It is a dream-like realm, a place where I am able to truly be myself. I created it a long time ago."_

_"You made this?" Looking around, Adam felt a sense of pride flow through him. "How?"_

_"I do not know," she replied, shaking her head. "But I am glad that I did."_

_"Then how am I here?" He asked, genuinely curious._

_"I wish I knew," she murmured. "But I am so very happy that you are," a soft smile accompanied the words and she opened her arms. "Come to me, my love, please." _

_Never in his life had he been able to refuse her anything. It had been much too long since he had last seen her like she was now. _

_Y/N sighed happily when he stepped into the circle of her arms. Encircling him, she drew him close. With a stuttered, heaving breath, she closed her eyes and buried her face in his shoulder. "You found me," she whimpered, tears escaping her eyes. "You found me," she repeated in a softer tone. _

_Although her words confused him, Adam clutched her close, unwilling to let go. "I think you found me," he murmured. _

_"No," she shook her head and drew back slightly, her eyes meeting his. "You misunderstand me. I am not referring to this realm."_

_It took a moment for the realisation to sink in. "You-?" He cut himself off as he fought to find the right words. He hardly dared believe what he was hearing, surely he had misheard her? _

_In answer, Y/N nodded. "I do," she said softly, reaching up and cupping his cheek, her thumb running gently over the shape of his cheekbone. "I know who you are," she continued in the same tone. "I remember everything."_

_Adam could not find the words, so he did the only thing he could. He kissed her. With one arm around her shoulders and the other by her waist, he held her close. _

_Y/N responded eagerly, it had been far too long and she was determined to relish every second. _

_When at last they drew apart, neither knew what to say. _

_"I am awake," she said after a short while. _

_"Come again?" _

_Smiling, she tilted her head to look up at him. "I am awake," she repeated, hoping desperately that he would catch her meaning. _

_An eternity seemed to pass before she got any reaction from him. "But your eyes remain closed," he murmured thoughtfully. "They have been for nigh on three weeks now."_

_Before she spoke again, she drew back out of his arms and hugged her own arms around herself. "That is because I cannot move."_

_"Y/N? What are you saying?"_

_"I am awake," she said, her voice a little louder this time. "I hear things. I smell and feel things yet I cannot move. My body will not obey me, even to open my eyes."_

_"How?" Adam asked, voice barely louder than a whisper as he began to contemplate a rather horrific reality._

_"It's not what you think," she replied, eyes downcast. _

_"Then what is it?" He pleaded with her, drawing her into his arms again. "What has happened, my love?"_

_A defeated sigh blew passed her lips as she lay her head on his shoulder. "I am being kept that way, on purpose."_

_Her words shook him. "But who would possibly-?" The answer came to him as soon as the question had formed. _

_"I have my suspicions," she replied, snuggling in closer. "I recognised his voice. There can only be one who could or would possibly do this."_

_"On my next visit I am going to get you out of there," Adam declared, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. "I have to get you away from him."_

_"If only that were possible," she sighed sadly. "I have no doubt that he will expect you to do such a thing."_

_"I care not," he muttered, nuzzling the side of her face. "I care only for you."_

_"Be that as it may," she replied, sighing. "The risk is much too high."_

_Drawing back, Adam stared down at her. "You would rather I leave you there? At his mercy?"  
_

_"Oh my love. It is not like that, you know that. I refuse to risk your life in any regard."_

_"There is little he can do to me that he hasn't already," Adam replied, smiling sadly. _

_"Hush now," Y/N whispered, her heart aching at his words. Closing the distance between them, she rested her head against his chest and wrapped her arms around him. "We have this moment, given to us, let us cherish it."_

_The feeling of her lips against his was the last thing he remembered before he woke. _


	14. Are curses able to glitch?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She was everything real in a world of make-believe.
> 
> ~ Atticus

"A dream you say?"

Adam nodded. What had happened the day before haunted him. The sheer fact that she had not faded after their kiss astounded him and had solidified what he already believed. It had been a dream, albeit a very realistic one. But one nonetheless.

"I do not wish to destroy your happiness Adam," Eve began, trepidation entering her voice.

"Then why do I feel as though you are about too?" Adam whispered, not liking at all where this could potentially go.

Sighing heavily, Eve got up from her place on the couch and began to pace. "Has it occurred to you that this might be a trap? Set by him to draw you in?"

"Of course I have considered that," Adam replied, running a tired hand through his hair.

"But you're still planning on going?"

Adam met his friend's concerned gaze and smiled, albeit a little sadly. "I promised her, Eve."

"No," Eve shook her head. "You promised what you believed to be her. That could all very well have been an illusion."

"It _was_ her," Adam insisted, "everything about her was just as I remember. Down to the finest detail."

"My point exactly."

"Then why tell me that she is, in fact, awake?"

Eve stopped her pacing and turned to face him. "She said that to you?"

Adam nodded wordlessly. Her words drifted through his mind. _"I am awake." _Such simple words, yet they held such weight. "She remembers everything," he said, voice soft with the memory of seeing her.

"How could she possibly?" Eve asked, "how could she remember? How could she _know?" _

"I spoke with her," Adam replied, looking down at his folded hands that hung between his spread knees. "When I visited her in the hospital."

"You believe that she heard you?"

"I believe so, yes."

Eve sighed, her shoulders slumping as she moved to sit beside her friend. "I have no desire to thwart your happiness, you must know that," she murmured. "I only have no desire to see you run headlong into a trap."

"You have done nothing but help me since them day I told you," Adam replied, laying a comforting hand on her knee. "I told her as much too."

"I'd so like to meet her," Eve sighed, a wistful smile curving her lips.

"Will you come with me?"

Eve didn't need an explanation. "It is much too risky, Adam."

This made him smile faintly. "She said that too. That he would expect for me to do such a thing."

"Then if you will not listen to me, will you at least listen to her..." Her words trailed into silence as she caught the look in his eyes. "But you're still going," she sighed in defeat.

Adam nodded. "I must."

"Then there is no way in heaven or hell that you will be going alone."

Blinking, Adam stared at his friend. "I'm sorry? I thought you were trying to _prevent _me from going?"

"Your stubbornness could very well rival that of a donkey," Eve replied, smirking. "No amount of arguing or gentle persuading on my part would have done any good."

The drive to the hospital was silent and wrought with tension for what they were about to do. 

The moment they arrived, they walked the well-known path to where she lay. The details of the plan ran on a loop through Adam's mind as their soft footfalls echoed gently off the hospital walls.

The soft chiming of the elevator brought him rushing back to the present and weight of the situation they were about to walk into. Swallowing hard, he steeled himself and lifted his chin. If all went well, he would be holding her in his arms come morning and she would be safe.

But when did things ever go to plan?

At first Adam believed that they had simply come to the wrong bed. It was easily done, the beds looked all nearly identical.

Then he felt it. Something was wrong. Terribly wrong.

It was Eve who spoke with the hospital's night staff. Enquiring after a certain young lady.

When Eve returned to Adam's side, she found him staring at one bed in particular. A bed in which a young man now lay, very much awake.

"Where is she, Eve?" He asked in a trembling whisper, his eyes were desperate as he turned to look at her. "Do they know?"

His fears became reality when Eve shook her head. "They have no record of her discharge. Nor of who took her."

"She can't have just vanished," he hissed, furious. "Someone must have seen her? Do they not have cameras?"

Eve shook her head and sighed. "They have gone over the feed many times over."

Turning on his heel, Adam stalked from the ICU and out into the hallway beyond. The moment Eve joined him, he spun, eyes glittering. "I knew it," he seethed. "I should have known something like this was going to happen."

"You can't have known," Eve replied, making sure to keep her tone calm. "No one can predict the future. Even those of us who live forever."

"It is so blindingly obvious," he whispered harshly.

"What is?"

"This whole situation," Adam explained. "I should have known that it was too good to be true."

"Well-" Eve began before being cut off by Adam, who it seemed was far from finished.

"It's _him._ Don't you see Eve? He knows, somehow, by some trick or dark means, he knows."

Eve frowned. "Knows what exactly?"

"That she remembers," Adam replied, fighting to keep his voice down. After a brief pause, he narrowed his eyes in thought. "Can curses, even ones cast by _him_, become faulty?"

Eve shook her head. "Not that I'm aware of," she murmured, "why?"

"She looks more like she did then, than she ever has," Adam answered, a soft look in his eyes, the anger momentarily melting away. "Never, in all the lives she has thus far lived, has she looked so similar to her original self."

Eve hummed softly, not entirely sure what to say.

"But the fact remains," Adam said softly, an edge to his tone. "That he took her, and to goodness-knows where."

"We can't be sure that it was him."

"Who else would it be?" He demanded. "Who else would do something like this?"


	15. The question of existence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You asked me what you mean to me. My darling, you are my poetry. 
> 
> ~ Nikita Gill (Muse)

He drank down his grief like it was the finest red wine. Like it was the purest blood. It had all been a trap, an illusion. As though she had never been there at all. No trace of her being there at all existed and all the staff denied any knowledge of her time there.

Had the dream been a lie too? A fever dream of a desperate heart? A delusion of a soul longing for its other half? Oh, how he had hoped and prayed for it to be real. A respite at last.

"Your thoughts are with her?" Eve asked gently, resting a hand on his knee to gain his attention.

Nodding, Adam let out the breath he hadn't known he was holding. "You were right," he murmured, not meeting his friend's eyes.

"I usually am," Eve replied, smiling. "But what about now?"

"It wasn't real," Adam whispered, hating how saying the words only made all the more real. "None of it."

Her smile fell and was replaced by a frown. "Do you honestly believe that?"

"What else am I to believe?" Adam asked, standing up and moving to the curtained window. "After nigh on two centuries without her, I suddenly see her again? Then she remembers?" His words were soft, as though he were speaking more with himself. Shaking his head, he laughed, a soft sound, stained with grief. "It was all too good to be reality. He wouldn't allow for something like that."

Eve knew not what to say. She had, after all, been the one to suggest the chance of this being a trap. How was she to comfort him now? How was she to convince him that all of it was real. Y/N's presence, her returned memories. Everything.

"What makes you so certain?"

Adam did not turn, as perhaps she had expected him too. He stayed rooted to the spot, looking out through a crack in the curtains. Any response, whispered or otherwise, was cut off by the entrance of Ava, who bounced into the room and flopped down on the sofa beside her sister.

"I wanna go out," she whined, looking pleadingly at her older sibling.

"Excellent idea," Adam muttered, still not turning from the window. "Go out."

"No," she protested, sounding more and more petulant. "I wanna go out with you guys."

"Absolutely not."

Eve bit her lip to keep from smirking and chose to remain silent.

"But you go out every night," Ava pointed out. "Surely I can come along?"

Adam shook his head and finally looked to her. "We're not going anywhere tonight, or any other night. If you're bored, you are more than welcome to leave."

Ava pouted as Adam left the room. Turning to her sister, she laid her head on her shoulder. "Why is he always like this?"

Eve sighed and wrapped an arm around her sister's shoulders. "He's had a bit of a difficult night."

"Anything to do with that girl from the album?" Ava asked, perking up.

Eve rolled her eyes. "You would do well not to pry."

"Is that a yes?"

Reluctantly, Eve gave her answer. "It is related, yes."

"I knew it," Ava replied, sighing happily. "Just who is she anyways?"

"That is not for me to say," Eve reminded her, "you know that."

"Well, it's not as if I'll be getting any answers from him," Ava muttered, sounding more than a little disgruntled.

Up above them, in the confines of his room, Adam sat at the edge of the bed. In his hands rested the album. Absently his thumbs stroked the soft leather binding. "He had me convinced this time," he murmured, to no one in particular.

Opening the album, he saw the sketch he had made of her the last time she wore her own face. England before the turn of the sixteenth century. She smiled up at him from the paper. "I will wait," he said softly, tracing her features through the protective covering. "I will wait forever if I must."

_"Forever is a long time."_

The whispered words, spoken in her voice had his eyes drifting closed. Was he to imagine her now too? Had the illusion failed in some way to warrant this new torment? 

He had eternity stretched out before him, more lifetimes than he cared to count. Over the years he had grown resigned to that fate and yet now it seemed more daunting than ever. Why? He could not possibly fathom.

_"You found me." _The siren voice spoke again. _"That is why."_

Heavens above! Could whatever phantom this was read his thoughts? Was nothing safe?

_"I am quite real. You need only look in the mirror."_

The mirror? Adam knew better than to fall for that one. It had been centuries since he had last seen his reflection. He was not about to go and make a fool of himself, least of all at the behest of a phantom!

_"Please," _oh goodness! It sounded as though it were begging. _"Take a look, my love. I shall ask no more of you."_

It was those two words that elicited a sharp gasp from him. _My love. _Yet the chance to be left in peace was highly tempting. Steeling himself, Adam rose and pulled down from the wall, a piece of fabric obstructing an oval mirror. As predicted, his reflection did not show. Nor did anything else, for that matter. He made to turn away when a shape began to materialise. 

A head. A body. Then came features that made his dead heart clench painfully. The light of his candles illuminated her hair and played with the h/c strands, making them glow. Then, if that wasn't already enough, she smiled. She smiled as though she had just received everything she could possibly want.

_"You came," _she said, e/c eyes warming with her smile.

This wasn't real. It couldn't be. Not after everything that had happened. He must still be imagining things.

_"Why do you gaze upon me so?_" She asked, her smile becoming sad and wilting at the edges. _"Are you not happy to see me?"_

Oh stars! Of course he was happy to see her. Now if only she was real. He could not take yet another one of the Devil's tricks. 

Reaching out, she held a hand close to the surface of the glass. _"You believe me to be unreal?" _She asked, _"then place your hand upon the glass, my love."_

Slowly and more than a little hesitantly, Adam did as she instructed. More so to quench his own curiosity. As his hand neared the cool surface, he prepared himself for the inevitable. That the moment his palm touched the glass, she would disappear in a cloud of stardust, as she had done countless times before. 

Nothing cool touched his skin. Nothing smooth either. Rather, it was a lightly roughed-up surface and warm too. The warmth that came from touching the hand of the living.


	16. My soul's reflection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grow tired of you? Never. No chance in hell. We could share a hundred lifetimes and in our last few remaining moments, I would find something new to adore about you. 
> 
> ~ Beau Taplin (One Thousand Lifetimes)

Adam let his hand hover, not entirely sure if what he had felt was real, or a figment of his desperate imagination. Yet the warmth that radiated from the hand had ensnared him and before he knew it, his slender fingers had slid between hers.

A shuddering gasp came from the figure in the mirror, her hand instinctively tightening around his. "It worked," she whispered, staring at their joined hands, mesmerised. Those eyes of hers, welling with tears, would forever haunt him. Her bottom lip trembled like a leaf in autumn.

"Please don't cry my love," Adam said softly, beseechingly. He longed to take her in his arms and cradle her close. "It's alright. I am right here."

"I can touch you," she replied, smiling shakily. "After so long."

"Where are you?" He asked, eyes sweeping over her. "When I went to the hospital to fetch you, you were gone." His grip on her hand tightened as he spoke, a though he was afraid she would vanish at any moment.

She sighed sadly and shrugged with one shoulder. "I do not know for certain. But it is cold here."

"Can you see anything?"

Y/N shook her head, her eyes sad as she regarded him. "I see nothing. Only darkness. But I feel things, hear and smell too. Yet I still cannot move."

"What can you hear?" Adam asked, careful not to sound too eager.

Her e/c eyes narrowed in thought as she bit her lip. "All manner of things," she murmured. "The soft pattering of rain. The distant murmur of a brook and the gentle rustle of leaves."

"Does it feel as though you are outdoors?"

After thinking for a moment, she shook her head. "No. I can hear the rain but I cannot feel it. It is very close though, I can feel the chill emanating from it."

"Anything at else?" Adam asked, his eyes pleading with her. "Anything at all."

"I am lying on something," she replied, her eyes going distant with recollection. "It feels cold and slightly damp. It is a hard surface, stone I think. I can smell it too."

"What? What can you smell?"

"The stone," she said absently. "The damp of old stones. Plants too, decomposing leaves and fresh moss."

_'Nature. Old stones. Possibly ruins.'_ These thoughts ran through Adam's mind as she spoke. _'Where on earth could she be?'_

"Come back to me," her soft words drew him from his thoughts. "Where were you just now?" She asked, a faint smile playing at her lips. 

"Thinking of where you could be," he replied, a tender look in his sapphire eyes.

"I am sorry that I do not know more," she said, the look in her eyes becoming one of apology.

"It is not your fault dear heart."

"I am thankful though," she murmured, her free hand coming into view to hold their joined ones. Absently, her thumb traced small patterns on his knuckles.

"Though I am able to guess," Adam said, eyes never leaving her face. "May I ask what for?"

"This moment," she replied before lifting their joined hands to her mouth and tenderly kissed each knuckle.

Adam closed his eyes at the sensation her actions evoked. With a sigh that came straight from the heart, he reached through the mirror with his free hand and gasped softly as he cupped her cheek. "My love," he said softly, his voice heavy with emotion. "How my soul sings when it feels you near."

Her response was a blinding smile that clearly displayed her heart as it could be seen in her eyes. Leaning into his touch, she hummed and sighed contentedly. "I love you with every fiber of my being."

"Adam?" The new voice startled them both.

Making to retreat into the shadows, Y/N was prevented by the firm grip Adam still had on her hand.

"Eve," Adam replied, sighing in relief. Chancing a glance at Y/N, he smiled reassuringly at her.

Eve closed the door quietly behind her before approaching Adam and the young woman in the mirror. "Is this who I believe it is?"

Adam nodded. "Indeed. Eve, this is Y/N."

Eve smiled gently at the young woman. "A pleasure to finally meet you, Y/N."

With an encouraging nod from Adam, Y/N replied, her voice shy. "The very same to you. Adam speaks very highly of you. I must thank you too."

"Oh? For what?" Eve asked, confused.

"For being there," the young woman replied, her beautiful e/c eyes sad. "For being there when I couldn't be. For being his strength and guide."

Eve chuckled at her words. "I thank you for the sentiment my dear, but I fear you are mistaken. Even through your absence, it was _you _who are his strength, not I. It was his love for you that guided him through the days, months and years. Not I."

Y/N's eyes welled with tears and she laughed softly. It was a delicate sound. "You are helping us without any thought for yourself," she said after a short while. "Why?"

"No one should suffer as you two have," Eve replied simply, nothing but honesty in her eyes. "And Adam is my oldest friend. I feel it is my duty to help where I can and if I can."

"We are beyond grateful for all you have done for us," Y/N replied, glancing at Adam, her eyes softening. "Is there anyway I could ever thank you?"

"Do not thank me yet," Eve said, smiling grimly. "The curse is not yet broken. And speaking of which..."

Adam shook his head. "She knows not where she is."

"My eyes remain closed," Y/N explained. "But my remaining senses work well enough." She paused for a moment before continuing. "Yet they do not tell me where I am. I cannot even begin to guess."

"What can you hear?" Eve asked.

"Woodland sounds," Y/N replied. "And the rain. It is all rather vague and it is driving me to near madness."

"Is he there with you?" Adam asked, sharing a glance with Eve. "Have you reason to believe that?"

Y/N nodded. "I can feel him," she whispered, shuddering. "His presence seems to suck what little warmth there is from the surroundings. It is like a void, a black hole and that wretched pet of his too."

"Pet?" Eve and Adam asked in unison.

Y/N clenched her jaw and nodded. "His serpent. I have heard him speak to it. I have reason to believe that its the poison from its fangs that is keeping me as I am."

"Poison?" Adam hissed, blue eyes hardening like ice.

"I'm afraid so," she mumbled in reply, her eyes cast downwards.

"A paralytic if I'm not mistaken," Eve murmured thoughtfully.

"Is it fatal?" Adam asked, dreading the answer he would no doubt receive.

After a brief moment, Eve responded with a small nod. Her lips set in a grim line. "I am afraid so. If it is administered too often, it will begin to creep its way to the heart and I am afraid that there is no known cure for that."

"Why not?" Y/N asked, tightening her grip on Adam's hand.

"Because the serpent from which it comes does not exist here on earth." Eve explained. "Only down in Hell. A place of endless torment."

Y/N flinched and appeared to curl into herself.

"Then we must find her before that happens," Adam said firmly. "After so long of searching, I refuse to lose her to the poison of an infernal serpent."

"If only it were that easy," Eve said, gaining a murmured agreement from the woman in the mirror.


	17. A change of plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Don't promise to live forever  
Promise to forever live while you're alive. 
> 
> ~ Atticus

It was cold and dark. Damp too. The rain seemed to have stopped. Yet she could still not open her eyes. They remained frustratingly closed, cutting her off from her surrounds. The stone beneath her was cold and she itched to get away from it. She needed heat, warmth of some kind. The cold was seeping into her, soaking in through her clothing and chilling her skin.

Then, it changed. The void she had described to Adam appeared and it was much too close to her. No heat came from him, despite the stories of his domain. There was simply nothing. No life, no joy, nothing. Heavy, oppressive, never-ending nothing.

The touch, though light and barely there, made her flinch. It made her skin crawl. "So cold," he murmured, tracing the line of her cheek, nose and lips. "So cold that you might be mistaken for something else entirely. There is hardly any warmth left in you at all." When his hand retreated, she wanted to sigh in relief.

There was some shuffling beside her and the scrape of shoes against stone.

There was a pause in movement before she felt those same fingers touch her left eye and gently open it. At last, at long last she could see. Even if it was with only one eye. The sight she was greeted with was wholly unwelcome. She would know that face anywhere. No matter which in which century he chose to make himself known. His eyes burnt like embers as he regarded her.

"So still," he whispered. "I would fear you to be among the dead if I did not know any better."

_'Get away from me,'_ she wanted to snarl. But her body was still not her own. How much longer, she did not know.

"Those eyes," he continued in the same soft voice that set her teeth on edge. "So close to the original, yet still not quite."

His ember-like eyes stared back at her, regarding her with an emotion she could not quite place. It was as though he was waiting for her to speak, something he knew she could not do. Though her eye could not move, she chose instead to focus on what details she could see in her surroundings. It was dark, though not dark enough to hide the shapes that arched out of the gloom.

When at last his interest faded, he stepped away with a sigh. "I grow weary," he whispered and she wasn't sure she was meant to hear him. "Weary of the repetition the both of you present."

A feeling of dread settled within her. It wrapped its cold hand around her heart and squeezed.

"There is, I feel, a need for change." He began to pace, looking to her at intervals. "The curse will stay the same, only you, my pretty," he purred, coming to stand beside her once more. "You will change," as he spoke, he trailed a lightly clawed finger along her cheek. "As will he."

Her heart thundered like a steam-hammer within her. Her blood threatened to freeze in her veins. He couldn't possibly mean _that_, could he? Did he truly mean what she feared he did?

"I can hear your heartbeat," he murmured absently. "I can hear it pound within you." Leaning down, his lips brushed against her ear. "You can hear me, can you not?" The hissed words only heightened her unease. "Good. I want you to hear everything and be helpless to stop it. For centuries, the two of you have tried to outsmart me, outwit me. No more."

His laughter was the last thing she heard from him before he stepped away, melting into the shadows and leaving her in the dark once more. The infernal sound echoed around her as she struggled for control. He had left her eye open.

The dark did not consume her as it had before. It did not encroach on her, but remained where it was supposed to. The first sign she received was when she managed, at long last, to swallow. It had been some time since she had felt the prick of the poison being injected into her body.

Slowly, little by little, sensation returned to her. When at last she managed to open the other eye, she looked around. The ceiling disappeared into darkness above her and tall arching windows were all around. Their glass had long since been broken, leaving the inside to be ravaged by nature.

Her bones creaked as she moved her hands. The stone beneath her was smooth, rough on the edges, but smooth where she lay. It was cold, terribly cold. Just like her.

After numerous attempts, she finally managed to prop herself up on her elbows. Her head felt unbearably heavy, she feared her neck would snap from the weight of it. Looking up at the ceiling, she saw only darkness. Collapsing back onto the stone, she sighed. There was only one thing she knew for certain, she had to leave, she had to somehow get out of where ever the hell she was. His words boded ill for everyone involved.

She would not let his dark promises be bought to completion, not after so long a separation. It had been longer than any of the previous times.

Fixing the dark above her with a determined stare, she began to move her legs. It went much slower than she was used to, but at least she had movement, which was something she had not had for quite some time now. Finally managing to swing her legs over the stone, she made to stand.

Her legs folded the moment she put the barest hint of weight on them and she went crashing to the ground.

"Right," she groaned, her voice hoarse and rough from weeks of disuse. "Forgot about that." With trembling hands and arms, she fought to stand and leaned heavily on the stone beside her, her legs threatening to give out at any minute.

Clutching the stone, she looked around, this time with a better view. Even in the dark, from where she stood now, a lot more was revealed to her.

The dark shapes of statues peered out at her from alcoves overhung with vines and long rows of what had once been seating stretched out into the back of the building. She knew what this place was.

She was in a church. A centuries old, abandoned church. Of all the places to bring her, why this one?

Taking a deep breath, she nodded to herself in a wordless encouragement and dared to push away from the stone.

Bad idea. In fact, it was a terrible idea.

The cold stone met her palms and knees. Tiny rocks pressed their sharp edges into the soft skin. Gritting her teeth, she began to crawl, and even that was a challenge. Her arms shook beneath her, causing them to fold. Exhausted, she lay there. Amidst the dirt and the rubble of a building reclaimed by nature. Reaching out, she caught hold of the rotting wood of a nearby pew.

Hauling herself up to it, she forced herself to stand. So it happened, she stumbled from pew to pew, her bare feet collecting tiny cuts and lacerations as she moved. The thin hospital gown she still wore provided her with no warmth and soon she was shivering violently, her teeth clamped hard to stop their chattering. Her fingers became claws as they dug into the wood for support as she dragged herself along.

Outside, the rain had started up again. A soft patter against the earth and a sound she had missed.

Breathing heavily, she collapsed, the archway of where the doors had once been loomed above her. "I'm coming," she whispered, holding a hand to her pounding heart. "I am coming." In her mind's eye she summoned his image. The way he had smiled at her the last time they had spoken and the tight, reassuring grip he had had on her hand.

Grabbing onto the stone, she pulled herself to stand and leaned against the archway. From where she stood, she could see the woodland beyond and it made her smile. The night air, though cold, breathed new life into her. The light breeze toyed with her hair and painted gooseflesh on her arms and legs with its cool breath.

How long had it been since she had taken the time to simply stand and admire nature? Yet, she felt no peace. She had not felt at peace since she woken in this new life. Something had always been missing and now that she knew what, _who _that was, she was so close to losing yet again.

Pressing her palm against the cool stone, she lifted her chin. "Let's do this," she muttered and took a shaky step forward. One step at a time she did it, she left the ruins behind. Using the trees for support, she navigated her way through the darkened forest.

She did not know for how long she had been stumbling her way along the forest path. Her feet felt numb and her legs stung from where thin branches and brambles left their marks. She had never felt so cold and utterly alone in all the lives she had thus far lived.

A misstep from her elicited a cry of surprise when she tumbled. Downward she rolled, crashing through the undergrowth and at last coming to a stop against the trunk of a rather large tree.

She did not have the energy to move. Everything hurt and soon tears welled in her eyes. Tears she was powerless to stop as they trailed coldly down her frozen cheeks. A sharp pain in her chest spiked as she tried to breathe. Small whimpers escaped her lips as the pain grew. Wiping at her face, she saw something dark on her hand. Horror paralysed her. The urge to cough rose up within her despite the pain in her chest and ribs. The urge to release that pressure. She couldn't stop it once it started. Loud, hacking coughs that sprayed something dark on the gown she wore.

"No," she gasped, stubbornly shaking her head. "No." It couldn't be! Surely!

Her hand shook as she wiped her mouth again and stared at her coated fingers. Painful gasps heaved through her as she struggled for breath. Was she dying? It certainly felt like it.

"There you are."

Her head snapped up at the sound of that voice. That hated voice. She was a fool to believe that he wouldn't eventually find her.

"Quite the state you are in now," he remarked, clicking disapprovingly with his tongue. "If you had stayed where I left you, you wouldn't be like this. Coughing up your own blood and gasping for air."

Blood coated her teeth as she snarled weakly. "Get away from me."

"Both of us know that that will not happen," he replied and crouched down before her. He smiled as she made an attempt to retreat. "The way you are now, you will not get very far."

In the dark, she glared at him.

"The sun will soon rise," he murmured, keeping a hold of her gaze. "And it will simply not do for you to be caught outside in such a state."

The tree behind her prevented her escape.

"As good as the blood looks on you, I simply cannot leave you like this," he tutted, shaking his head. "There is so much for us to do. For you to do, actually."

She could not help the confusion that arose within her. What was he on about?

"Your questions will be answered in due time," he replied, reading the look in her bloodshot eyes. "But for now..." his words trailed off as he reached out and wrapped a cold hand around her throat.

Her eyes widened as something slithered out from his collar and along his arm. But she could not move, no matter how desperately she wanted to. The sharp sting of fangs penetrating her skin made her scream. As the snake retreated, he let her go.

This poison felt different. It did not freeze her muscles and take away her control of her body. No, this one burned. She clawed at her throat where she had been bitten, but it did her no good. Soon the burning spread. It went everywhere and she was powerless to stop it. She watched in horror as the gashes she inflicted healed themselves. Everything hurt. It took what strength she had and left her in a exhausted heap at the base of the tree.

"Time to get up, my pretty one," he purred from beside her. "The sun will not be kind to you as it once was." When she looked up, there were daggers in her golden eyes.

When she didn't make any effort to move, he shrugged and stood and looked over his shoulder to where the morning sun was creeping over the horizon. Its golden light shimmered on the wet leaves as it crept towards the pair.

Stepping out of the sun's path, he looked down at her and heard her scream, scrambling to hide herself behind the tree. "I told you," he murmured. Those were the last words she heard as she sought to hide herself from the assault of the sun.

Cradling her burnt hand close, she hissed. Her throat felt strange. It was so very dry and she felt so very hungry.


End file.
